Animal & Bird Medical Center of Palm Harbor
Medical Database

Infectious Disease

Leptospirosis

General Information
Leptospirosis is a serious bacterial disease that infects dogs, people, and several other types of animals. There are numerous types (called serotypes) of leptospires. Although each type is infectious only for certain animals, some infect several species, including people.

These bacteria attack the kidneys, liver, and nervous system. Recovered animals may shed the organism in their urine for up to 1 year. Infected rats are a common source of leptospirosis.

Vaccination is the best prevention for leptospirosis. All dogs should be vaccinated yearly. This vaccine is commonly combined with the distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza vaccines.

Important Points in Treatment

1. Laboratory tests of blood and urine are necessary to diagnose the disease and monitor the response to treatment. Hospitalization is often necessary.

An Important Update From Animal & Bird Medical Center On COVID-19

We are committed to offering a safe and healthy environment for our clients, pets and hospital team here at Animal and Bird Medical Center. The best way to avoid becoming ill is to avoid exposure to the virus. Taking typical preventive actions is key.

In being cautious and mindful of everyone’s safety, we are actively working to minimize your exposure to crowded exam rooms and long waits in the lobby.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made some changes to our protocols in-hospital for the time-being…

In order to limit exposure while still providing quality care for your pet, we will be implementing special protocols to keep you safe.

We will have our veterinary technicians get a history of the patient’s symptoms and owner’s concerns via phone prior to coming into the clinic.

Our goal is for you to be able to bring your pet in for medical care but have no risk for you or our dedicated staff of transmitting the COVID-19 virus.

The Doctors and staff are dedicated to making sure your pet’s medical needs are taken care of during this national crisis.

We can still fill prescriptions for pick up, however, for those who prefer, non-narcotic and non-urgent prescriptions can be mailed to your home.

As always, careful hand-washing and other infection control practices can greatly reduce the chance of spreading any disease.