The Dangers of Leptospirosis

Are you fond of taking your pet to the dog park for show or just for play? Or letting it drink off public water fountains when nobody's looking? If you are, than there is a good chance that you pooch is infected with leptospirosis. This is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that works its way to the animal's digestive system, kidney, and liver. It can cause major damage to your poor pet's body, and could lead to death if left untreated. Your dog can get infected by coming in contact with an infected animals urine and poop. Some popular carriers of the ailment are raccoons and rats.

It's not just limited to these two, but many other domesticated animals as well. The virus thrives in water; so letting your pooch drink off the ponds and other public sources is not such a good idea. Leptospirosis can get into the aquatic sources easily. The disease spreads a lot faster when it rains. It can even live in soil. A dog park can be an ideal place for the survival of the ailment; it's also conducive for its multiplication. Here pets poop and pee everywhere. The place where you thought your dog would be happy and feel at ease with the other animals isn't so safe after all.

It's a threat to the well-being of all doggies. The 1st sign that an infected pet will show is probably a fever. Check for any sudden changes in its temperature using your hand. If you haven't developed the ability to tell whether or not its temperature has increased by hand yet, use a thermometer. The fever is usually followed by vomiting, and then diarrhea, or vice versa. These two symptoms mean the the infection has made its way to the upper and lower intestines. It will also have a loss in appetite; not because it doesn't like what you've prepared but because of leptospirosis.

Another sign would include lethargy – this means it won't be so active. It will refuse to play or carry on with training routines. In short it will become lazy and stubborn. Your pet will also have red eyes. It's possible for it to have this when it just woke up, so monitor it for an hour or so. If your pet starts showing these symptoms, then it's possible and most likely that it's infected with the disease. Having your dog vaccinated is the best way to deal with it, but not very effective. There are vaccinations for 4 strains of the virus, but there are 200 strains of it world-wide.

So a better approach would be having your house and property disinfected with an antibacterial solution and having your pet vaccinated. The most common solution used for killing the bacteria is a combination of water and bleach. Use gloves while getting rid of doggy poop; it is possible for you to get infected as well. Disinfect the areas where it pees - wash your hands thoroughly after. It is possible for some dogs with really strong immune systems to cure themselves, but not all dogs have really strong immune systems. If you suspect your pooch to be infected, don't hesitate to pay for a check-up.

Treating it at its early stages yield better results.