Leptospirosis vaccine becomes core vaccine for dogs

Thursday, December 19, 2024

Media Contact:
Kinsey Reed | Communications Specialist | 405-744-6740 | kinsey.reed@okstate.edu

How many of you have sat in your veterinarian’s exam room with a list of recommended
vaccines and wondered, “Does my pet really need this?”

You want the best for your furry family, but balancing decisions for our pets with
other family needs and constraints can be challenging. I am here to help you understand
why we recommend what we do.

As veterinarians, we use disease trends to determine whether a vaccine should be considered
core (always recommended) or non-core (recommended based on lifestyle and risk) for
our pets.

Core vaccines are always safe to administer with a very low risk of any adverse effects.
They would not be recommended as core if they carried substantial risks. Additionally,
they protect our pets from diseases that are either very common, highly infectious,
potentially deadly, a significant risk to people, or all the above.

This year, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), the World
Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), and the American Animal Hospital Association
(AAHA) communicated a historic consensus that the leptospirosis vaccine should be
considered a core vaccine for all dogs. Why this change? Leptospirosis is a devastating
disease that can result in kidney failure and death in dogs.

This bacterium is spread through the urine of other infected animals, including rodents
and wildlife. While we used to think outdoor hunting dogs in wet areas were the only
ones at high risk, improved testing and environmental changes now support a substantial
increase in cases regardless of setting or environment. Indoor dogs in urban areas
and dry climates have substantial risk, as do outdoor dogs in rural or wetter climates.
Unfortunately, leptospirosis is also an important zoonotic disease, meaning that it
can spread to people with devastating effects as well.

Thankfully, this now core vaccine is safe and very effective at preventing the disease.
The vaccine must be administered annually to maintain the strong protective immunity
needed to prevent leptospirosis. Do you still have concerns? Please reach out to your
local veterinarian and start a conversation. As always, annual preventive care is
important to our pet’s well-being and longevity. Give your pets the gift of preventive
care this holiday season!


About the author: Dr. Jennifer Rudd is the interim associate dean for academic and student affairs and assistant professor in
veterinary pathobiology.

Veterinary Viewpoints is provided by the faculty of the OSU Veterinary Medical Teaching
Hospital. Certified by the American Animal Hospital Association, the hospital is open
to the public providing routine and specialized care for all species, as well as emergency
care. Call 405-744-7000 for an appointment or see more information at vetmed.okstate.edu.

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