Leptospira in Dogs: What it is, Symptoms and Treatment 2024

Taking care of the health of our pets is also taking care of ourselves or do you think that their diseases cannot affect us? Owners and pets have more similarities than you can imagine. We need vaccines, they also depend on dog vaccines . We need vitamins for dogs , so do they. We need attention and care, just like them.

This is why I invite you to read this blog to learn together about leptospirosis, a disease that can be harmful to us and fatal to them. Interested? Keep reading.

What is canine leptospira?

Leptospira is a spirochete bacterium that is distributed throughout the world and causes a disease called leptospirosis. Canine leptospirosis is a serious situation worldwide since, in addition to being highly infectious and causing the death of 50% of the pets that contract it, it is a disease that can be transmitted to humans.

Learn about other types of diseases that can affect our pets, such as: leishmaniasis in dogs , distemper in dogs and epilepsy in dogs .

What are the symptoms of leptospirosis in dogs?

As in other cases, the symptoms will vary depending on how intense or developed the disease is. Once the bacteria enters our pet's body, it is very easy for it to spread to different organs through the bloodstream. This is why we must be vigilant to detect any of the following symptoms in our dog:

• High fever.
• Vomiting and Diarrhea in Dogs .
• loss of appetite
• Jaundice (yellowing)
• dehydration.
• dark urine
• Congestion of the mucous membranes.

Our puppy could present these symptoms in a period of time from 4 to 12 days after being exposed to the bacteria.

Causes of leptospirosis

There really isn't much of an explanation in this regard other than that our pet, unfortunately, had contact with the bacteria. Leptospira is a fairly resistant bacterium and is found mostly concentrated in tropical, subtropical and humid areas where exposure to the sun is not as high. This bacterium does not only involve canines since it can be contracted by other animals such as rodents, farm animals or wild animals.

What happens if my dog ​​gets leptospirosis? Consequences

If you identify that your furry has any of the symptoms described above, stay calm. The best thing you can do is go to a professional to carry out the relevant tests that will determine if your pet contracted the disease or not. A blood or urine test will suffice to detect the bacteria in the animal's body.

In the event that your pet tests positive for the disease, the most serious consequences can range from lung problems and impairment of its respiratory capacity, to suffering from hepatitis because the bacteria mainly affects the kidneys and liver.

How is leptospirosis in dogs cured? Treatment

Being a bacterial disease, it can be treated through various antibiotics. The factor that will determine which treatment should be used will depend on the organs damaged by the disease. Commonly the treatment given is as follows:

• Antibiotic treatment.
• Rehydration is often an urgent priority, which must be carried out always paying attention to the correct concentrations of salts.
• Medication to control symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and pain.
• Medication to limit extensive organ damage.
• Care to keep the dog clean and comfortable.

To know exactly what treatment would be appropriate, we must take the dog for consultation and in Waggy's we know that going to the vet is not easy for your pet, since stress and anxiety in dogs is often unleashed in cases like this, for this reason, we offer you our 100% natural natural dog treats with CBD for dogs , which They will help calm your pet so that the session with the doctor can proceed successfully.

To find out all the benefits and recommended doses of these products, I recommend you read the article: All about Cbd for dogs .

How is leptospirosis transmitted from dogs to humans?

It is mainly spread by having direct contact in a wound with the infected animal. This can be through the urine of affected animals, water or food contaminated with this urine, among other cases.

Conclusion

Pets are part of our most intimate environment and will not let me lie, some of us even consider them more important than certain family members. This is why taking care of your health, in addition to being a responsibility that we consciously contracted, is in some way also taking care of ourselves.

In this blog we saw that leptospirosis is a disease that not only affects pets but also humans, however, it is not the only one. Just like this, there are thousands of diseases that we can contract due to neglecting our animals. Although many of them have treatment, we must not forget that they can be lethal for our furry ones.

Why go to those extremes? Remember that there are vaccines that help us prevent this type of situation. Vaccinate your pet and thus, together with Waggy's, we ensure the well-being and health of both.