Is the Lepto vaccine necessary for my dog in a high-risk area?

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!

Leptospirosis is frequently spread via the urine of infected rodents and other mammals. If your dog spends time outdoors or "in the field", the lepto vaccine should be considered. There are many strains, or serovars, of leptospirosis that can infect dogs. It is important to confirm with your veterinarian that the vaccine protects against the 4 most common serovars as opposed to a vaccine that has only 2. An initial vaccine is administered and followed up with a booster 3-4 weeks later, then yearly afterwards.

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.

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

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tiny. All leptospirosis vaccines are only licensed for one year. So unless he receives this vaccine again soon, he may not have adequate immunity. Furthermore, there are 4 common strains of leptospirosis that should be in a vaccine. Some of the combination vaccines will only include two strains of leptospirosis. This would also leave him less adequately protected. No vaccine offers 100% protection. However, vaccinating at yearly intervals for leptospirosis with a vaccine that covers 4 strains will offer him the best immunity. I hope this information helps!

Leptospirosis spp vaccine is not a core vaccine and should only be given if necessary, i.e. if your dog has access to water (ponds, ditches, rivers, etc.) where rats may live and urinate in the water. DPP is vaccine against distemper, distemper, hepatitis (canine adenovirus-2 and -1), parvovirus, and parainfluenza., parvovirus, and parainfluenza and is one of the necessary core vaccines. It would be better to also include vaccination against hepatitis (canine adenovirus-2 and -1). Lyme vaccine is also a non-core vaccine ans should only be given if called for in your area. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you more specifically.

The bordetella is strongly encouraged if he is around a lot of other dogs so I would recommend it at least once a year since he goes to dog parks frequently. The lepto is strictly your choice. If you feel like the poor reaction he has when he receives the vaccine outweighs the benefit of protection then I wouldn't give it. It also depends on how frequently lepto is diagnosed in your area as to how high risk he is. I would talk to your vet about this and during that discussion you should be able to decide what would be best for him. I hope this helps!