There have been recent reports in the news about veterinarians seeing an increase in the disease Leptospirosis in Florida. The disease is spread through the urine of infected animals (including rats, Opossum and Raccoons). Control of rodents and removal of standing water that your pet can get to is the best prevention. Dogs that are more at risk include hunting and sporting dogs, dogs that live near wooded areas and dogs that live on or near farms.
Leptospirosis Vaccination
There is a vaccination for Lepto but we do not routinely give it, as intense adverse reactions to the vaccine are not uncommon and the vaccine only protects against the more common strains of the disease. This is not a common disease so we do not vaccinate dogs for it unless they are risk.
The following link has more information about the disease from the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/pets/index.html. If you have additional questions or would like your pet vaccinated please let us know.
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Regular check ups with a veterinarian are important for your pet's health. Contact us today to schedule your next appointment.
