Two weeks ago I took Prince to see the vet for what seemed to be conjunctivitis (pink eye). He had excess mucus building up around one eye, and I am prone to contracting pink eye from past experience. We dealt with the pink eye but before I had to chance to leave, the vet asked if I take Prince outdoors often, to parks or walks, etc. Of course I do. She informed me of this vaccination, (not mandatory) but better safe than sorry, against Leptospirosis dogs can contract by coming in contact with the urine of infected animals and a bacteria which can survive in the soil and groundwater for weeks, even months.
What is Leptospirosis?
This bacteria has become more prevalent in the U.S. Northeastern states in wild animals: raccoons, skunks, squirrels, opossums, rats, mice, and deer. This concerns me because Glendale has all of the above animals present except for deer. The infected animals excrete this bacteria through urine, and animals continuously excrete the bacteria over time for months or several years.
Dogs contract it through dermal lacerations or by ingesting contaminated water. This is where my alert went off in my head: Prince rubs/rolls around on the grass in the backyard and at the park, and he randomly likes to take sips of water from accumulated outdoor pools of water (which I do not approve of but can’t always catch in time).
Common Symptoms
Fever, Vomiting, Abdominal pain, Diarrhea, Refusal to Eat, Severe Weakness and Depression, Stiffness, Severe Muscle Pain, and Inability to have puppies
The younger animals tend to be more seriously affected and at risk than older animals.
Treatment
For dogs: IT IS TREATABLE WITH ANTIBIOTICS. If caught at an early stage, your dog will recover more rapidly. However, if caught at a later stage they my suffer from organ damage that will result in extra medical attention: dialysis and hydration therapy. Development of disease from time of exposure is approximately 5-14 days, as short as a few days or as long as 30+ days.
For humans: if you have come in contact with an infected animal through it’s urine, blood or assisted with delivering newborns, you will need to inform your physician.
The reason I am posting this information is because over a year and half ago I lost a very special dog due to unknown reasons. Jewels was also a red nosed pitbull, also very friendly, obedient and mild mannered. It broke my heart when she suddenly became ill and passed away. With Prince I am super cautious.
Vaccine shots
The shots were not expensive, the initial shot was $25 and the follow-up shot was $13. However, and this is why I despise going to the vet’s office is because they take advantage of you. Today I had a simple appointment to get the 2nd shot for this vaccination. The vet charged me for a check-up, as well. That costs $65. They exploited the fact that I was there and did a physical check-up without asking me first and then charged me for it. I did not go into the office with a sick dog acting out of the ordinary, I went into the office with a healthy, happy dog for a shot I scheduled two weeks ago. That’s my two cents on that. I did not go to school for veterinary medicine, however, I am a pet owner and I know when my pet is in need of medical attention. Today was not one of those days.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/pets/index.html
Paw Prints On My Soul 