Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

opossums appear to be the primary reservoirs. With housing spreading into
the suburbs, more wildlife are coming into contact with pet dogs. This may be
the cause of the upswing in leptospirosis cases. Spirochetes enter a dog’s system
through a break in the skin or when the dog drinks contaminated water.
Dogs who spend a lot of time in the water are at increased risk, as are dogs
who drink out of puddles and dogs who spend time in yards that get a lot of
runoff or stay wet after it rains.
Most infections are mild and do not show clinical signs. Signs appear 4 to
12 days after exposure. Fever is present in the early stage. Other signs are loss
of appetite for several days, vomiting, lethargy, depression, muscle pain, and
sometimes diarrhea or blood in the urine. Leptospirosis primarily affects the
kidneys and/or the liver.
In severe cases, the whites of the dog’s eyes turn yellow (jaundice). This
indicates hepatitis with destruction of liver cells. Coagulation problems can
ensue, with spontaneous bleeding from the mouth and blood in the stools.
Following recovery, untreated dogs can become carriers and shed bacteria in
their urine for up to a year.
The canicola and gripotyphosa serovars tend to cause kidney damage, and
the pomona and icterohemorrhagiae serovars most often affect the liver. Young
dogs tend to show liver damage with all of the serovars.
The diagnosis can be suspected based on the dog’s clinical signs. Tests of
kidney and liver function will be abnormal. Spirochetes can be detected in
the urine and blood by fluorescent antibody staining. Blood tests are available
to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment: Severely ill dogs should be hospitalized for public health reasons
and to provide more intensive care. Antibiotic combinations of penicillin
and streptomycin are effective against the disease, although doxycycline
is now routinely used as well. Enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin are also sometimes
used. Supportive measures includecontrolling vomiting and diarrhea,
correcting dehydration with intravenous fluids, and maintaining nutrition.
Prevention: There is a vaccine for leptospirosis. See page 96.
Public health considerations: Humans can acquire leptospirosis, generally
through the same types of exposures that cause the disease in dogs, such as
infected water. It can also spread via contact with infected urine, so precautions
should be taken if the family dog has leptospirosis. An infected dog who
is asymptomatic can still spread the infection.
BORDETELLA BRONCHISEPTICA
INFECTIOUS DISEASES • 67
Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria are frequently found in dogs with the kennel
cough complex and other respiratory diseases. Signs of upper respiratory illness
caused by bordetella include a dry, hacking cough accompanied by a clear
nasal or eye discharge. In puppies and immune-compromised adult animals,