What Is Lepto And Is My Dog At Risk?

Leptospirosis is a disease that affects not only dogs but many kinds of animals worldwide. It is a disease caused by a type of bacteria called spirochetes. There are many strains of Leptospira but four are the most common ones that infect our dogs. They are Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, L. canicola, L. grippotyphosa and L.pomona. Leptospira are found in both wild and domestic animals. Most of the infected animals that spread Lepto do not appear ill. Animals with Lepto shed live bacteria in their urine. This bacterium often makes their way into water sources and remain infective in the soil for up to six months. Rats, cattle, raccoon, skunks and opossums are common carriers of Lepto.

Spirochetes enter a dog’s system through a break in the skin or from drinking water contaminated by infected urine. Dogs that spend time in wooded or swampy areas are more likely to catch Lepto than dogs that spend most of their time indoors.

Signs generally 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 and joint pain, and sometimes diarrhea or blood in the urine. Lepto primarily affects the kidneys and liver.

In severe cases the whites of the dog’s eyes turn yellow (jaundice). This is indicative of hepatitis with destruction of liver cells. Coagulation problems can occur with spontaneous bleeding from the mouth and the presence of blood in the stools.

Because symptoms can vary between pets and because most veterinarians see few cases it is common to miss the diagnosis of Lepto. Blood tests can confirm or rule out whether your pet has Lepto.

Treatment usually consists of antibiotics such as penicillin, doxycycline, or tetracycline and supportive measures to control vomiting and diarrhea. Severe cases may require hospitalization.

Limiting your pet’s access to contaminated water is the best way to avoid Lepto. Lepto vaccines are available, however they are not without risk. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) considers Leptospirosis vaccine a “non-core” vaccine for dogs. Unless there is a good chance that your pet is at risk the AAHA does not recommend vaccinating for Lepto. Reactions to this vaccine can range from mild to harsh or even fatal. Consult with your veterinarian before administering any vaccines.

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Renee Jones-Lewis is a certified professional dog trainer, having received instruction from canine behaviorist Dr. Pamela Reid, plus nationally acclaimed trainers: Patricia McConnell, Pia Silvani, and Jean Donaldson, to name a few. She serves as a Pet Marketing and Canine Specialist for JeffersPet and JeffersPet.com.

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Trying to find a joint supplement can be a daunting task if you don’t already know what you want. (Sometimes even if you do.) Here are some of the more common ingredients used in joint supplements and how they are supposed to help. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Plays an important role in tissue hydration and lubrication. It works (in part) by binding to water to lubricate movable parts of the body, such as the joints and muscles. Glucosamine Natural compound found in healthy cartilage. Used in the formation and repair of cartilage and other body tissues. Chondroitin Helps cartilage hold water and inhibits cartilage metabolism. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and stimulates the production of cartilage and hyaluronic acid. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) An organic form of sulfur that supports healthy connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and muscle. It also decreases the pressure inside the cell which may assist in alleviating pain and inflammation. Cetyl Myristoleate (CMO) Functions in four different ways – lubricating joints, as an anti-inflammatory, as an immune system regulator and as an analgesic or painkiller. Ester-C Strong pH-neutral form of Vitamin C which is essential for the immune system function and tissue growth and repair. It is absorbed more rapidly and excreted more slowly and has also shown great pain relief properties for joint and musculoskeletal issues. Perna Canaliculus Comes from the green-lipped mussel (an edible shellfish). An important constituent of the green-lipped mussel is glucosamine, a building block of cartilage. It also contains natural agents that help with pain and inflammation, particularly as related to arthritis, and improve joint mobility.

Dogs are pack animals and very social creatures. It’s very important to their health & well-being that all of our interactions with them are positive. Training your dog is every bit as important to his well-being as health care.

The majority of dogs that are turned over to shelters are given up because they are exhibiting behaviors that their owner has been unable to correct. The dogs are given up out of frustration. A well trained dog is a joy to be around. They are more fun to take out in public and to have people in, to enjoy him in your home. Dogs are looking out for number one and they will do whatever works for them. Using reward based positive reinforcement training will be fun for both you and your dog. All you need to do is:
1) communicate to your dog how he’s doing on winning the prizes, and
2) have names for all the different things he has to do.

Your dog, when presented with a signal or cue like the word “sit”, first, must identify if the signal means anything to him (classical conditioning) and then, and this is very important, must work out the odds of the suggested behavior winning a prize (operant conditioning)! You will give your dog the signal or cue for the behavior you desire. When he performs the behavior, immediately mark that behavior with a word (such as “yes”) or a click from a clicker. Follow with the reinforcer of choice. Very quickly your dog will make the connection that the marker (yes or clicker) means “WOO HOO! I am getting a prize!”

A key element to reward-based positive reinforcement training is to pick a reinforcer that your dog loves! Things that are likely reinforcers for dogs are as follows:

1. Food or treats
2. Access to other dogs
3. Access to outdoors and interesting smells on the ground
4. Attention from people and access to people, especially after isolation periods
5. Initiation of play or other enjoyed activity such as fetch, cuddling, tug-of-war, keep-away, etc.

Those are the big five, although your dog may have other quirks which you can use. Simply start doling out his favorite reinforcer only when he does what you want.

Behavior is under the control of its consequences; law of effect. There are four kinds of consequences:

1. Good thing starts (positive reinforcement)
2. Good thing ends (negative punishment)
3. Bad thing starts (positive punishment)
4. Bad thing ends (negative reinforcement)

To be effective, all consequences must be immediate. These consequences will end up being associated with other things present at the moment of the consequences, as well as affecting the probability of the behavior.

Dogs are expert at reading the environment to know which consequences are likely to occur for which behaviors in any given situation.

An old dog really can learn new tricks and it is never too late to train your dog. If you need assistance, books and videos are available or consult a professional trainer. Just remember, make your training sessions fun for you and your best friend. And, as always, I welcome your phone calls and emails and will be happy to help you.

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Renee Jones-Lewis is a certified professional dog trainer, having received instruction from canine behaviorist Dr. Pamela Reid, plus nationally acclaimed trainers: Patricia McConnell, Pia Silvani, and Jean Donaldson, to name a few. She serves as a Pet Marketing and Canine Specialist for JeffersPet and JeffersPet.com.

Questions about this article, training in general or non-emergent health concerns are welcome. Renee can be reached most days from 9am – 5pm Central Time (Mon-Fri) at 1-800-JEFFERS (533-3377) ext 381 or by email rsjones@jefferspet. com

Freight charges based on weight and over-sized items as well as drop-ship fees and hazardous materials charges will remain unchanged. Expedited shipping (for vaccines) will remain unchanged; and shipping outside of the continental US (for now) remains unchanged.

As a side note…

In case you haven’t read or heard, on about June 16, 2011, we switched back to UPS as our main carrier. Since customer service is an important focus for us and keeping our prices low is a close second, it only made sense to go back. The “other guys” made a lot of promises, but in the end, they just didn’t “deliver”. UPS just seems to mirror our own philosophy of making sure the customer is the focus. In the end what matters is that the customer is happy. The old saying “if mama ain’t happy, then nobody is happy” can be applied to business and the customer. If the customer isn’t happy, no one is happy. Unhappy customers don’t buy, and they are 6-10 times more likely to share their “bad” experience than a happy customer is to share a “good” one.

While we are on the subject…

You’ve probably noticed that you now have the ability on our site to rate and review products. This is important for a lot of reasons. When I am shopping or researching a product, I always try to find reviews for a product rather than rely on the manufacturer’s description or a salesman’s spiel. I think most people would rather have the opinion of regular people who have tried a product in their home or business than any “professional” opinion. The more reviews a product has, the more accurately you should be able to gauge a product’s performance.

Why not give your opinion on a couple of items that you have used. Someone will appreciate the input.

Another thing we should have learned by now is that disaster affects every person and animal in its wake. It crosses every boundary there is, geographic, socio-economic; it knows no age, color, or creed.

With that in mind, here are a few tips for preparing for disaster with your four-legged and furry friends in mind.

WHAT
Part of preparedness is knowing what to be prepared for…
What types of emergencies are likely to occur in your area? Do hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding, blizzards or wild fires affect your area? If you are unsure what disasters are common in your area, contact your local emergency management agency for more information. Also, consider other emergency situations, such as house fires or gas leaks.

WHERE
Find a safe place…

According to the FEMA website, you should never leave your pets behind in an emergency (unless your own life is at risk). Remember that though these animals once survived in the wild, we have domesticated them and for generation upon generation we have trained them to overcome or ignore these natural instincts. If you must evacuate, take your pet with you. However, many shelters do not accept pets, so planning is again, essential! Start with a list of options in areas surrounding your home (up to 100 mi radius). Options include friends or families that are out of harm’s way, veterinary clinics or pet boarding facilities, pet-friendly hotels, and animal shelters. Whatever you decide, make sure you thoroughly understand any restrictions or rules. For example, many boarding facilities require a copy of veterinary records before accepting your pet. Additionally, you will need to have a portable kennel for each pet.

WHO
No matter where your pet ends up, he/she needs to have identification. It is always wise to have a tag on the collar with contact information in case you’re separated unavoidably. An extra tag with a separate contact person outside of your area is a great idea simply because during an emergency, it is common for phones to be out or for circuits to be too busy to get through for days or weeks, including cell phone service. (See Identification at JeffersPet.com)

Another method of identifying pets is micro-chipping. The American Humane Association estimates that about 17% of all lost dogs and only 2% of all lost cats ever make it back to their owner. Nearly 10 million pets are euthanized each year because they cannot be reunited with their owner. The American Humane Association recommends using I.D. Tags and microchips and always keeping the information current. (See microchips at JeffersPet.com)

IMPORTANT NOTE:If you do not register the chip, it will not help your pet be found.

Micro-chipping is safe, effective, durable and dependable, but can’t absolutely guarantee that a lost pet will be found. The best way to keep your pet safe is to use more than one form of identification. Microchips are long-lasting and a wonderful means of identification, but there is a chance a shelter won’t have a reader, so a tattoo would be an effective backup form of identification. If kind strangers find your pet on the street, on the other hand, they won’t have a reader handy to check and won’t know where to call to match a tattoo to an owner. A tag with your name and address [and phone number] would allow them to bring your pet right back to your door. Another possibility would be a tag that informs readers that your pet has been micro-chipped or tattooed and give them the number to call to reach the ID number database. There’s always the possibility that one kind of identification could fail but if your pet has two or three kinds of ID, there’s a good chance that at least one will bring him/her home to you. – healthypet.com

HOW
Prepare a Pet Emergency Kit…
Just like any other emergency preparedness kit, a very important item to include is a basic first aid kit. This should include at minimum, some bandages and flexible wrap, a blood-stopper, an antibiotic ointment, an antiseptic spray, thermometer, sterile gloves, and scissors. (See First Aid/Wound Care at JeffersPet.com)

It is very important to have at least a couple of day’s worth of food and clean water for your pet, just like it is for you and your family. Don’t forget to rotate stored food every month or two when your Emergency Kit is just sitting. If you are packing canned food, be sure it has a pop-top or you have a manual can opener with the kit.

Keep a couple of trash bags handy and collapsible or disposable feeding dishes or bowls made for travel.

An extra collar or harness and leash and some chew toys and snacks are a must as well as a blanket and/or bed and any medications required and always keep recent photos just in case of separation.

Be aware of local laws that might require you to have some form of waste disposal such as bags and/or scoopers. (See Waste Disposal at Jefferspet.com)

If you live in or your “safe destination” is in a colder climate, keep a sweater or jacket and possibly boots for your pet. Snow, ice and salt are harsh on paws.

Another consideration is the stress/anxiety of the emergency situation and travel on your pet. Consider a calming or anxiety relief treatment for your pet. (See Calming Aids at JeffersPet.com)

Be sure that your house has an emergency “Save Our Pets” sticker on every door and at least one window on each side of the house. Emergency workers don’t know and you might not be home or conscious to tell them.

Don’t wait until disaster strikes to think about what to do. You may literally only have a minute to worry about your own safety and that of your pet(s).

Revised and updated from an original post at JeffersPetBlog.com, Aug. 25, 2009

While there weren’t an overwhelming number of entries in the contest, the ones we received were so good that we had a hard time choosing. In the end we chose a first,second, and third place winner but we gave everyone at least a $10 gift card.

We posted all of the entries on our facebook page (JeffersLivestock) and they can be seen here.

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