Is the Lepto vaccine safe for my Dachshund puppy? Breeder says no.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Panacur is a medication, it is a dewormer. I have not found it to be dangerous for any breed or size dog. Leptospirosis is a bacteria excreted in wild animal urine. A dog or human can get this bacterial infection from ingesting contaminated water or the bacteria can penetrate wounds. It causes kidney and liver failure. Dogs get very sick with this infection and can die. If Nacho will hike, go swimming, camping, you live in a city and he may drink from puddles (rat urine) or you have water on your property you should vaccinate him. Again, I have not found that a particular breed is more sensitive that another to the vaccine. Since Nacho is small I would not give him the Leptospirosis vaccine with the DHPP. I would separate it out and give it by itself. I personally do not give tony dogs too many vaccines at once. He needs 2 vaccines for leptospirosis, 3 weeks apart then yearly. Every dog, regardless of size, gets the same volume. The DHPPL does have Leptospirosis in it. You need to weigh the pros and cons of giving that vaccine versus his risk of contracting the bacterial infection. If his risk of getting it is minimal then do not vaccinate. I hope this helps!

The vaccine manufacturer will typically make a recommendation about the age at which to start the vaccine, and there are some leptospirosis vaccines labeled for ages 9 weeks and older. Even if the vaccine was labeled to start later many veterinarians will start vaccines earlier than labeled for dogs at high risk for infectious diseases like those in shelters and do not seem to experience an increase in side effects.

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

For small dogs, I generally do recommend to separate vaccines by a few weeks. This will decrease the chances of a vaccine reaction. You can also give the pups diphenhydramine prior to the vaccines to further decrease reaction rates. Definitely discuss these options with your veterinarian. Possible side effects of vaccines are vomiting, diarrhea, facial swelling, lethargy and collapse. If your pups exhibit any of these afterwards, be sure to have them seen immediately. The vast majority of pets are fine with vaccines however and reactions are rare. Most vets vaccinate based up risks associated with life style and the diseases found in your area. I recommend to have a conversation about risk factors for your pups but I suspect they are present if your vet is recommending these vaccines. Clear communication however is always best. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Shyla is so cute! She needs the vaccine, Sherry, the lepto in it isn't dangerous for her. Contracting either lepto or distemper would be extremely dangerous for her. I urge you to have her vaccinated. Best of luck.

Hello, and thank you for your question. The combo vaccine for DA2PP + leptospirosis is usually given at 12 weeks or older, so if Nena is 5 months, it should be safe to administer. I would also recommend having your pet examined by a veterinarian first, and for the vet to determine and administer the appropriate vaccines as well. This article may help to answer other questions you may have about vaccines: https://www.petcoach.co/article/vaccination-recommendations-for-puppies-puppy-shots/ I hope this helps!

DHPP does not contain leptospirosis, so that is the difference. Leptospirosis is an infection of bacterial spirochetes, and it is zoonotic meaning it can be passed to humans. It will also make your dog extremely sick. Yes the vaccine is safe, and it's highly recommended to give it to your dog to prevent her from getting this horrible diseases. I hope this helps!