For some dogs, summer is prime time for making a splash<\/a>. Rivers, lakes and the ocean are popular spots for water-loving pups to cool off. But while it should be fun and games, water is a prime spot for leptospirosis, a bacterial disease spread through the urine of infected animals.<\/p>\n Humans and animals can both get the disease, which is also often found in soil and food, particularly in warmer climates.<\/p>\n In June<\/a>, Companion Animal Parasite Council<\/a> launched Pet Disease Alerts<\/a> to inform pet parents of Lepto outbreaks.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can be aware of lepto in your area and remind yourself and your community that this is a problem in your area and people should get their animals vaccinated,\u201d says Dr. Emilio DeBess, DVM, MPVM, president of the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC).<\/p>\n DeBess shares what pet parents need to know aboutlepto in dogs.<\/p>\n Lepto in dogs can damage the kidneys and be fatal. Even if a pup survives, the disease can be life-altering.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be a very severe disease in animals that can cause lifelong problems because it has the ability to affect kidneys and sometimes the liver,\u201d Dr. DeBess says.<\/p>\n Dogs can pass lepto to humans. The disease can affect a person\u2019s liver and cause liver disease, jaundice and lethargy.<\/p>\n Signs of lepto may seem benign at first.<\/p>\n \u201cInitially, they show up as vomiting, not feeling well,\u201d Dr. DeBess says. \u201cThen, they tend to get worse.\u201d<\/p>\n If your pet is throwing up or acting differently, Dr. DeBess advises calling the vet.<\/p>\n Lepto isn\u2019t easily diagnosed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to go beyond trying to take care of the symptoms to further testing, blood tests to tell you whether the kidneys have been impacted at that point and that raises a flag for having lepto,\u201d Dr. DeBess says. \u201cThen, you follow that up with another test for lepto.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to get the diagnosis, and the sooner the better, to protect not only your dog but others.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the dog was sick and you took him to the park, he has the ability to affect other animals in the park \u2026 or humans,\u201d Dr. DeBess says. \u201cSometimes, we don\u2019t protect ourselves the way we should, and there\u2019s a possibility for cross-contamination.\u201d<\/p>\n Treatment includes fluids and antibodies. If the dog may have infected other animals, vets will ask you to contact trace so other pet parents can get their pups tested.<\/p>\n Photo: Kateryna Kukota\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n DeBess says prevention is the key to success.<\/p>\n \u201cVaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Limit exposure to stagnant water at dog parks and lakes, particularly if your area is a hotspot. Keep your eye on the Pet Disease Alerts\u2019 map at https:\/\/petdiseasealerts.org<\/a>\u00a0 to track whether there is an outbreak in your area.<\/p>\n Featured Photo: Chalabala\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: <\/b>Which Vaccines Are Most Essential for Dogs?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n The post What Pet Parents Need to Know About Leptospirosis in Dogs<\/a> by Beth Ann Clyde<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post What Pet Parents Need to Know About Leptospirosis in Dogs<\/a> by Beth Ann Clyde<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n For some dogs, summer is prime time for making a splash<\/a>. Rivers, lakes and the ocean are popular spots for water-loving pups to cool off. But while it should be fun and games, water is a prime spot for leptospirosis, a bacterial disease spread through the urine of infected animals.<\/p>\n Humans and animals can both get the disease, which is also often found in soil and food, particularly in warmer climates.<\/p>\n In June<\/a>, Companion Animal Parasite Council<\/a> launched Pet Disease Alerts<\/a> to inform pet parents of Lepto outbreaks.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can be aware of lepto in your area and remind yourself and your community that this is a problem in your area and people should get their animals vaccinated,\u201d says Dr. Emilio DeBess, DVM, MPVM, president of the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC).<\/p>\n DeBess shares what pet parents need to know aboutlepto in dogs.<\/p>\n Lepto in dogs can damage the kidneys and be fatal. Even if a pup survives, the disease can be life-altering.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be a very severe disease in animals that can cause lifelong problems because it has the ability to affect kidneys and sometimes the liver,\u201d Dr. DeBess says.<\/p>\n Dogs can pass lepto to humans. The disease can affect a person\u2019s liver and cause liver disease, jaundice and lethargy.<\/p>\n Signs of lepto may seem benign at first.<\/p>\n \u201cInitially, they show up as vomiting, not feeling well,\u201d Dr. DeBess says. \u201cThen, they tend to get worse.\u201d<\/p>\n If your pet is throwing up or acting differently, Dr. DeBess advises calling the vet.<\/p>\n Lepto isn\u2019t easily diagnosed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to go beyond trying to take care of the symptoms to further testing, blood tests to tell you whether the kidneys have been impacted at that point and that raises a flag for having lepto,\u201d Dr. DeBess says. \u201cThen, you follow that up with another test for lepto.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to get the diagnosis, and the sooner the better, to protect not only your dog but others.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the dog was sick and you took him to the park, he has the ability to affect other animals in the park \u2026 or humans,\u201d Dr. DeBess says. \u201cSometimes, we don\u2019t protect ourselves the way we should, and there\u2019s a possibility for cross-contamination.\u201d<\/p>\n Treatment includes fluids and antibodies. If the dog may have infected other animals, vets will ask you to contact trace so other pet parents can get their pups tested.<\/p>\n Photo: Kateryna Kukota\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n DeBess says prevention is the key to success.<\/p>\n \u201cVaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Limit exposure to stagnant water at dog parks and lakes, particularly if your area is a hotspot. Keep your eye on the Pet Disease Alerts\u2019 map at https:\/\/petdiseasealerts.org<\/a>\u00a0 to track whether there is an outbreak in your area.<\/p>\n Featured Photo: Chalabala\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: <\/b>Which Vaccines Are Most Essential for Dogs?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n The post What Pet Parents Need to Know About Leptospirosis in Dogs<\/a> by Beth Ann Clyde<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy is Lepto Dangerous?<\/b><\/h3>\n
What are the Symptoms of Lepto in Dogs?<\/b><\/h3>\n
How is Lepto Diagnosed?<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/GettyImages-1167850274.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow Can I Prevent Lepto in Dogs?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Why is Lepto Dangerous?<\/b><\/h3>\n
What are the Symptoms of Lepto in Dogs?<\/b><\/h3>\n
How is Lepto Diagnosed?<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nHow Can I Prevent Lepto in Dogs?<\/b><\/h3>\n