Dr. Stephanie Wolf is talking about leptospirosis, a potentially life-threatening disease on the rise in all of Western New York and why you need to call your veterinarian and talk to them about vaccination today. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease which is transmitted through wild animal urine and found in dirt, soil, standing water, so in short, all the pets in Western New York are considered at risk whether you live in suburbs, the city or far out in the countryside.
Dr. Wolf says, this disease, unfortunately has non-specific signs, vomiting, diarrhea, some lethargy, maybe some depression. Unfortunately, she says, all these signs are evidence of other diseases as well so if your pet is exhibiting any of these signs, and keep in mind dogs are much more commonly than cats affected with this, take your animal immediately to your veterinarian or to an emergency clinic. Dr. Wolf says unfortunately because the animal has been exposed one to two weeks before any of these signs take hold, time is really of the essence and so is aggressive treatment. She says there is the potential for this disease to be transmitted to humans as well. Dr. Wolf says vaccination is very, very important, while it is not 100 percent, talk to your veterinarian, if your dog would be a good candidate for this vaccine.
For more information visit nfveterinarysociety.org
