Leptospirosis Vaccine?

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Our vet asked us if we wanted to get our new doggy vaccinated against leptospirosis.

I'd never even heard of it. (It's just shown up in Washington State a few times recently) but it sounds nasty - AND can be transmitted to humans.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g_pet.htm

But. It appears there are mixed opinions about this vaccine. (I'm grossly over-generalizing here... Google if you want specific info I guess... I honestly know very little except what I've read online so far...)
But there's questions that the vaccine may not even be effective for 12 months.
That it doesn't protect against all or even half the strains of Lepto.
That it has too many side effects.... etc...

Our vet uses the "new" vaccine, whatever difference that is. I have all the brochures she gave me, and have read those too, but those are basically put out by the drug company assuring me that it's a good thing...

Anyone have any further information, reliable sources or recommendations or thoughts? Obviously I want to protect the dog against anything he might catch, and even though I had a long, informative chat with the vet, I still wanted input from other non-vet "dog" people too...

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Anyone?

[Treehugger267]

My vet told me that more dogs are coming down with it in our area and recommended it. I did have my dog vaccinated with it because we live in the country right next to a barn and woods.

I remember my mom being nervous about getting her dog vaccinated but decided that she should. None of our three dogs had any bad side effects from it.

[rabid_child]

When I worked at the vet, we gave it to all dogs. I never heard one person complain of side effects. They can get it from drinking out of puddles, and its really really bad sickies.

[cheekywhiskers]

I have specifically given it to my dogs because I believe in the vaccine.

Leptospiosis is a bacteria that is spread in the urine of wild animals. Usually the animal gets something like the flu and gets over it, but it can affect the liver and kidney and can be fatal. Humans can also get it.

The old vaccine only protected against two strains of the bacteria, the new one against four. These are the most common strains encountered.

The most common side effect I've seen is an allergic reaction, to which you can premed the dog with benedyl or dexamethasone to prevent that (this happens more commonly when multiple vaccines are done at once). Some people (especially breeders) think that it can cause all sorts of problems, like complete shut down of the immune system. If this were the case there would tons of anecdotal warnings in the vet journals and web sites. I've seen none.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Yeah, I know it's a bacteria and spread easily, etc. etc... There have only been a couple documented cases in Washington so it's just starting to be used around here...

I was just wondering mainly about the effectiveness/side effects/etc.

Thanks. The input helps.

[Wolfie]

I asked like at three different vets last summer and got three different responses. I think I might reconsider getting it though based on what CW said. I don't give multiple vaccines at once (I won't even do D6 and rabies together) so it should be okay. My dogs love to run through the woods where this could be picked up.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

I asked like at three different vets last summer and got three different responses.

Yeah, this was my experience too - two vets giving opposite advice... (and the Lepto vaccine being VERY expensive!) which led me to doing further research here on the 'net...which wasn't extremely conclusive either...

I don't do multiple vaccines at the same time either, most of them I can buy at the farm store and do myself, which saves me the time and gas of multiple trips to the vet at least.

[rabid_child]

How expensive is very expensive?? I worked at vets outside of NYC, which were really REALLY expensive, and the highest I'd seen the vax was $40.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

60 dollars. Which is the going rate here, and for me is a small fortune.

I buy most of my animals vaccines (except rabies) at the feed store for 4$ each because I know how to administer them myself and because I'm rather cheap that way.

[rabid_child]

Thats a rip off. They only cost a few bucks a dose.