Lepto vaccine?

[mitziandjudysmom]

All four of mine get it every year... no reactions. The vet always says to watch the site of injection for any reaction, but there never was a problem.

[AngusFangus]

I just found the proceedings to the symposium I was referring to either here or on Kate's other post. Good reading. The vaccine article is on p. 15:

http://www.akcchf.org/pdfs/whitepapers/upasymp.pdf

Just read that - very interesting!

Here's something that just occurred to me while reading: If the vaccine is considered to be most effective for six months, and the protection is variable after that, wouldn't it make sense if you were going to do this to do it right before the time of year the disease would most likely be contracted?

I read somewhere else that Lepto is also known as "fall fever," so I'm thinking that the bacteria is usually most prevalent (and picked up) during the spring and summer rainy seasons...? This theory is based on nothing, just me guessing. Anyway, it made me think, maybe it would make sense to do the vaccine in very late winter and have six months of protection during the time of highest risk.

Or is it something that persists year-round?

[S-Dog's Mom]

This is spread mainly in water.. from other infected animal's urine. I did a lot of checking on this before getting this shot for my pups.
Right now, with water bodies SO low, and my boys SO addicted to ANYTHING remotely wet, I'm very happy I got this for the both of them.
Better safe than sorry.
Did my pups react to the shot? Stormy did not- he was 5 months old at the time. Simon, my golden retriever, had some nausea/lethargy for the first one, they recommended a benadryl after the second, and it worked like a charm!

[javasmom]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

What area of the country are you both in?

I live in Massachusetts.

[windycanyon]

Just read that - very interesting!

Here's something that just occurred to me while reading: If the vaccine is considered to be most effective for six months, and the protection is variable after that, wouldn't it make sense if you were going to do this to do it right before the time of year the disease would most likely be contracted?

I read somewhere else that Lepto is also known as "fall fever," so I'm thinking that the bacteria is usually most prevalent (and picked up) during the spring and summer rainy seasons...? This theory is based on nothing, just me guessing. Anyway, it made me think, maybe it would make sense to do the vaccine in very late winter and have six months of protection during the time of highest risk.

Or is it something that persists year-round?

That's what my vet recommended--- lt winter, early spring for vaccination time for mine. Anne

[justine]

Reactions here - we don't give them any more.