# Leptospirosis Vaccine



## Pooch (Nov 23, 2010)

I need to decide about this vaccine. I do plan to take Fionn to parks, etc. but I live in the city. Is it necessary? Any advice?


----------



## dbeech (Jun 16, 2009)

No, do not give your dog the Lepto vaccine. Attached is a link to Dr. Jean Dodd's vaccination schedule which many forum members follow.

I would also allow 3 weeks between the rabies vaccine and any others.

http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

ditto.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I've never even heard of this vaccine...?


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lepto cause more vaccine reactions than any other vaccine and is only effective against a portion of the strains of Lepto. The best way to avoid Lepto is to keep your dog from drinking out of puddles and other small bodies of stagnant water where wild animals may have drunk. (moving water or large bodies of water like lakes are fine)

The only time where the benefits might outweigh the risks is if there is a major outbreak of Lepto in your immediate vicinity.


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Django had a lepto vac. when he was a puppy and it took him days to recover. he's now tittered for all vaccinations and hasn't had any in years.


----------



## Rita Nelson (Jul 13, 2009)

The advice given to us from Tucker's breeder (June Hartzog of Jubo-Lee Havanese) was no to Lepto.


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

If I were you, I'd find out if it was a big problem in your area, and if so, where and how badly and go from there. Gucci had the lepto, but I got it so she could have an international health certificate to travel out of the country, not sure I would've gotten it if we didn't take her with us, probably not, but she didn't have a reaction to it, I think I had the reaction to it (panic attacking all day over it, lol)

Kara


----------



## Divaskychick (May 18, 2011)

In Chicago, the Lepto vac is required if you want to go to any city dog parks. There's a $500 fine if you don't have it.

My vet was fine with not doing it but did let me know that he recently had a client get fined for exactly that.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Divaskychick said:


> In Chicago, the Lepto vac is required if you want to go to any city dog parks. There's a $500 fine if you don't have it.
> 
> My vet was fine with not doing it but did let me know that he recently had a client get fined for exactly that.


That's weird... Dogs usually catch it from wild animals, not from each other! Oh well, there's no accounting for the rationale (or lack thereof!) behind some municipal laws!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Thumper said:


> If I were you, I'd find out if it was a big problem in your area, and if so, where and how badly and go from there. Gucci had the lepto, but I got it so she could have an international health certificate to travel out of the country, not sure I would've gotten it if we didn't take her with us, probably not, but she didn't have a reaction to it, I think I had the reaction to it (panic attacking all day over it, lol)
> 
> Kara


Yeah, that's sort of like Rabies shots... Even though there is good evidence that they last way longer than 3 years, and we could titer for it, most of us still end up doing the shots every 3 years just because the ramifications from the town are worse if you don't have it. If your traveling out of the country, you kind of HAVE to do what they tell you, or risk all kinds of problems at customs! I was very happy to find out that we don't need to do anything special to take Kodi to Canada later this summer... the requirements here are the same as in Canada.

With horses crossing international borders, even between the U.S. and Canada, you have to have a special equine passport, and not only a record that the hose is up to dat on all shots, but also a health certificate that the horse has been examined by a vet within a short time before crossing the border (It used to be 2 weeks... don't know what it is now) and found to be in good health. Glad it seems to be a lot easier with dogs!


----------



## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

No more Lepto vaccines for us - Abby had a reaction to the one she had a few years ago that my vet sort of pushed. This time with McGee I told him no!


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

django was due for his rabies this month and the vet felt due to his health issues, we should titter and if all went well, he would not receive his rabies vaccination. he has had a few dogs with health issues who have received their rabies shot and there have been no issues. paperwork indicates the shot could be detrimental to the dogs health.


----------



## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Quincy has had the lepto shot and he was fine.

I think most breeders would error on the side of caution and say no to lepto. We however live in an area where we have wild animals in our yard...so lepto it is. I do however have it done totally isolated from any other shot in case of a reaction. In fact--Quincy would get shots over a period of weeks.


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Bummer about the fine. I would not give it. My 3 have not gotten that vaccine. I only vaccinate when necessary, which is not that often! I follow Dobb's protocol too.


----------



## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

Julie said:


> Quincy has had the lepto shot and he was fine.
> 
> I think most breeders would error on the side of caution and say no to lepto. We however live in an area where we have wild animals in our yard...so lepto it is. I do however have it done totally isolated from any other shot in case of a reaction. In fact--Quincy would get shots over a period of weeks.


Thanks for posting this Julie. I "interviewed" our new vet ealier this week and we spoke about this Lepto shot at length. We too have wild animals in our yard (What does this say about Iowa?) 

I'm very confused and apprehensive about all this socialization and vaccaine information. Must I confine our puppy to the house and just invite humans in (who don't have dogs that may be carrying some nasty germ on them) to the house? How do I get my baby familiar with the grass/thunder storms, etc?

Also, my vet said it was a law here in Iowa that they must worm the new puppy even if I bring a sample in and it shows nothing.

Thoughts?


----------



## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I haven't had the Lepto shot for any of my three, as advised by their breeder. 

As for worming, I've never had a puppy that wasn't wormed . . . ever.


----------



## MoirasNiceLady (Jul 11, 2011)

Diann said:


> Thanks for posting this Julie. I "interviewed" our new vet ealier this week and we spoke about this Lepto shot at length. We too have wild animals in our yard (What does this say about Iowa?)
> 
> Also, my vet said it was a law here in Iowa that they must worm the new puppy even if I bring a sample in and it shows nothing.
> 
> What part of Iowa are you in? I'm in SE Iowa. We have ***** and deer in the back yard but I still hate the thought of the Lepto vaccine. We wormed our dogs but I wasn't aware it was Iowa law to do so.


----------



## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

Wow. The vet didn't even tell me I had a choice for Lepto. Baxter did all right with it, but my dachshund had terrible reactions to it.

My son was bitten by an unclaimed dog when he was young and had to go through the rabies series. The disease is so rare that there was no vaccine in San Antonio; it had to be ordered. The treating doctor had to look up the protocol. And, he said, there hadn't been rabies in a domesticated animal in the United States in his memory.

I'm not making a case against the vaccination -- I got it for my dogs (not my cats, who never leave the house), but I am saying making decisions on a case-by-case basis is ok.


----------

