Make leptospirosis vaccination part of the annual conversation

Jane Sykes, BVSc, PhD, MPH, MBA, FNAP, explains why the updated ACVIM consensus statement on leptospirosis matters. New data on epidemiology, diagnostics, vaccine safety, and duration of immunity support a recommendation to consider leptospirosis vaccination for all dogs on an annual basis, and the guidelines also address health risks from handling suspected cases.¹

LEARN MORE: Click here to read the updated ACVIM consensus statement on leptospirosis in dogs.

Transcript

Vicky Ograin, MBA, RVT, VTS (Nutrition): Hi, my name is Dr Jane Sykes. I am a professor of small animal internal medicine at the University of California, Davis. I am a clinician, a researcher, and an educator at UC Davis, and I study infectious diseases of dogs and cats.

One of the main reasons we updated the consensus statement is that there has been a lot of change in our knowledge of the epidemiology of leptospirosis, especially as it affects dogs and cats. New diagnostic tests have been developed, and crucially we now know much more about vaccines and vaccine safety. Newer vaccines are much safer than older options, and we have more information on duration of immunity. We also have more information on health risks from handling suspected cases, and the consensus statement addresses that as well.

A major change in the consensus statement concerns vaccine safety and efficacy. We have new vaccines now, and those vaccines appear to be protecting dogs in the US. Basically all of the dogs we are seeing at UC Davis with leptospirosis, and similar reports from other parts of the world, are dogs that have not been vaccinated or that were not properly vaccinated for leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is appearing in under vaccinated dogs because of concerns about vaccine reactions. That includes small breed dogs and geriatric dogs that are not being vaccinated because people perceive they do not need vaccines due to age or presumed immunity. We are also seeing cases in very young puppies that have not yet had a chance to receive vaccines.

One way to communicate the importance of vaccination is to tell clients that vaccines have changed and are now about as safe as the vaccines we use for distemper, hepatitis, and parvovirus. As a result of the guideline, leptospirosis is considered to affect all dogs, no matter their breed, age, or lifestyle. The recommendation is that all dogs should get vaccinated every year for leptospirosis. That is a big change, because our traditional core vaccines have often been given every three years. Making leptospirosis a core vaccine means dogs will potentially come in every year for vaccination, and owners will likely have questions about vaccine safety and rationale.

When communicating with clients, use stories and examples. Tell them that the dogs developing leptospirosis are often unvaccinated dogs, including small breed dogs, geriatric dogs, and very young puppies. Explain that leptospirosis can be a fatal disease, that treatment costs can be in the thousands of dollars, and that some dogs might not survive. It is now one of the more common vaccine preventable diseases we see. If an owner chooses not to vaccinate their dog, that decision should be documented in the medical record.

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Reference

1. Sykes JE, Francey T, Schuller S, et al. Updated ACVIM consensus statement on leptospirosis in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2023 Nov-Dec;37(6):1966-1982. doi: 10.1111/jvim.16903. Epub 2023 Oct 20. PMID: 37861061; PMCID: PMC10658540.