My husky reacts to Lepto. Does he still need Bordetella and Lepto?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Correct, you are all set with this year's booster. While the lepto vaccine is not a core vaccine and probably never will, it is important to consider it in areas where the disease incidence is high. If there have been some cases nearby, I would not take my chances and I would recommend the vaccine. Keep in mind that even though there may not be cases reported just exactly where you are at, that does not mean that there has not been any leptospirosis, it just means that it has not been reported. I think you are better off going forward with the vaccine especially if recommended by your veterinarian who knows the area well and also knows Ivy well. Have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I call these vaccines "life style" vaccines, so it depends on what you plan on doing with Jax. If he will be outdoors a lot hiking, swimming, you live near wooded areas where ticks are prevalent or there is free standing water on your property then I recommend the vaccines. If Jax will barely be outside then his risk may be small. Leptospirosis is contracted from drinking water contaminate by wild animal urine that contains the bacteria. It makes the dog (and people) very sick by causing liver and kidney failure. I think it is a under diagnosed disease and is more prevalent than we think. I hope this helps!

While not considered a "core" vaccine, the leptospirosis vaccine is highly recommended for dogs who may be at risk for contracting leptospirosis, as it is a disease that can lead to agonizing deaths in both animals and humans. See the links below for more information: https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Leptospirosis.aspx https://ebusiness.avma.org/files/productdownloads/LR_COM_ClientBroch_Leptospirosis_022616.pdf

Well that depends on the severity of the adverse reaction. If she is having a mild vaccine reaction (1 bout of vomiting, loose stool), then an anti-histamine (i.e. Benadryl) can be given in most cases and will calm the reaction down. However if she is having a more severe adverse reaction (i.e. continuous vomiting, anaphylaxis, severe lethargy, anorexia), then she will need an antihistamine shot (for immediate reversal), +/- steroid shot from your vet , +/- fluid therapy and close monitoring to ensure that the reaction subsides and that she remains stable.

Lepto is transmitted in the urine of other animals (foxes, other dogs, smaller wild animals). Many dogs are exposed and have no signs whatsoever. But an unlucky 10% or less develope kidney damage requiring hospitalization. Occasionally the damage is irreversible. For me and my pets, it’s not worth that risk. But if your Twix will be almost entirely indoors (no camping, dog parks, etc.) it may not make sense to vaccinate. Also Depending on how common lepto is in your area, it may be more or less likely that Twix is exposed. With the newer lepto vaccines, we are not seeing any more anaphylactoid reactions than any other vaccine (<1%). However, I AM seeing more pain and lethargy associated with this vaccine than other vaccines. Since Twix shouldn’t be out and about yet anyway, I’d probably hold off and do it by itself after his other puppy vaccines are finished. Best of luck to you and Twix!

That would depend on the brand of the vaccine but generally speaking it is done once a year, a part from the the first time that is usually repeated two times. He can have it at 9 weeks (first shot) which can be repeated at 12 weeks of age and then at 1 year. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Congratulations on your new addition! In general, we are starting to see a large amount of Lepto in more urban areas because rats can carry Lepto, so I would suspect that the Lepto vaccination would be recommended for Maxi in Brooklyn. Lyme requires a tick bite. So for most dogs, I recommend tick prevention as a better option than Lyme vaccination because it will also protect again other diseases that ticks can carry. I am attaching a link to the American Animal Hospital Association's vaccine guideline below which includes a Lifestyle-Based Vaccine Calculator to help you determine which diseases Maxi may be at risk for to help you make the best decision. https://www.aaha.org/guidelines/canine_vaccination_guidelines/practice_vaccination.aspx Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.