Specific Disease Information
We hope to educate our clients about specific diseases. We see this knowledge as a way for you to keep your pets healthy by being more aware of new infections which may be introduced into the Denver area.
HEARTWORM DISEASE
Heartworm disease is becoming more common in dogs in Colorado. For the last 33 years the Doctors at Mesa Veterinary Hospital have only seen cases of heartworms in dogs from other parts of the United States, however, in the last 2 years we have seen multiple cases from the Denver area, including the neighborhoods immediately around the hospital. Due to this increased incidence, the Doctors are now recommending that all of our canine patients be tested yearly and placed on a simple monthly preventative medication.
Heartworm disease was first discovered in Italy in the 1600s, but has grown to a world wide problem and is now found in all 50 of our United States. The heartworm larva are transmitted by mosquitoes in the summertime when the average temperatures exceed 60 degrees. This means that our dogs need preventative medications in Colorado starting on June 1st and ending on November 1st, unless the dogs are traveling to warmer parts of our country. Cats can also be infected with heartworms, but the incidence is much less common than in dogs.
Although some of the heartworms live within the heart, the majority of them live in the pulmonary artery, which supplies blood to the lungs. Initially, the pet does not show any clinical signs so an owner would not realize how severe the disease can be. By the time symptoms develop, such as coughing and exercise intolerance, the disease has caused a great deal of damage to the heart and the lungs. For this reason heartworm testing and the use of heartworm preventative is mandatory to prevent the infection in your dog.
Heartworms may be treated if they are present, but the treatment is expensive and there could be lasting effects within the heart and lungs. Prevention is the only reasonable way to treat this terrible disease. Please contact us if your dog is not currently on heartworm preventative and have him or her tested in order to begin treatment for the warm summer months.
LEPTOSPIROSIS
This deadly bacterial disease, commonly known simply as "Lepto" is on the rise in the Denver - Boulder area. There have been over 100 confirmed cases in the Denver area in the last couple of years. We have kept track of the local numbers near the hospital with 19 in Lakewood, 6 in Arvada, 10 in Denver and 10 in Littleton in 2006 alone. This is an astounding increase since the disease has been virtually unknown in Colorado in the decades that Mesa Veterinary Hospital has been in existence.
Most cases in Denver are being transmitted by raccoons.
Clinical signs which you may see include lethargy, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloody urine. We must suspect lepto in any acute kidney or liver failure.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, which means people can get the disease as well as your pet. This is a public health significance for our clients and their families. When we see a suspected case in the hospital, we must wear gloves and masks and take appropriate measures to ensure that our employees do not contract the disease.
PREVENTION:
There is a vaccine against leptospirosis. Initially there are two vaccinations spaced 2 - 3 weeks apart. It does need to have a booster vaccination yearly. Since it is a bacteria instead of a virus, the duration of immunity is less than our other 3 year vaccinations. This is similar to the duration of immunity for other bacterial immunizations such as Bordetella (a form of "kennel cough") which must have a yearly booster as well.
This vaccine does have a higher incidence of vaccine reactions. We will be separating the Lepto vaccines from our other vaccinations to decrease this incidence. Pets who are receiving other vaccines during their annual exams will need to come in for another appointment to receive their Lepto vaccinations. These can be administered more quickly by our nursing staff to help avoid a longer appointment
Susceptible animals:
1. Dogs with raccoons in the back yard.
2. Dogs who drink from ponds and puddles.
3. Dogs who go outside where they could have exposure or contact with wildlife. (Hunting dogs, dogs on hiking trails)
Each patient will be evaluated for potential exposure and the need for the vaccination. Cats are not susceptible and do not need to be vaccinated for leptospirosis.
Call us at 303 237-9542 if you are unsure about your dog's need for the vaccination.
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If you wish to know more specifics about the disease, please read on, but be aware this may appear a little too technical for some.
Leptospirosis is a multi - systemic bacterial disease of dogs, livestock, people and many other animals. It is found worldwide.
Serovars of the spirochete organism Leptospira interrogans are the causative agent. Leptospira grippotyphosa, L. pomona and L. bratislava are currently the most common serovars detected in clinically ill dogs. L. icterohemorrhagica and L. canicola are less common.
Leptospires persist in stagnant or slowly moving water. Various mammals, including fox, squirrel, bobcat, raccoon, opossum and deer serve as reservoirs. Raccoons are the biggest reservoir here in the Denver area.
Leptospires are shed in the urine of infected animals. They penetrate the mucous membranes or abraded skin of animals and enter blood vascular spaces, where they replicate and produce inflammation. Damage to the kidneys, liver and other tissues occur.
Cats show mild or inapparent signs. Clinical disease is very rare in the cat. No specific disease syndromes have been associated with leptospirosis in cats. Cats are suspected to be innately resistant to the development of clinical disease. They do not need to be vaccinated against the disease.
Dogs may show a variety of signs depending on their age, immunity, environment or virulence factors of the serovar. They may show initial signs of chills, fever and generalized muscle tenderness. These signs are very vague and are often mistaken for other problems such as sprains, strains or simply just not feeling well. With time the symptoms may develop into renal and hepatic failure with sudden loss of production of urine, jaundice, anorexia and vomiting.
A presumptive diagnosis is made on clinical signs and lab work (acute renal failure, high liver enzymes, elevated bilirubin). a definitive diagnosis is made with titers to detect antibodies against the organism and/or a PCR of the urine to detect the organism itself.
Treatment is with antibiotics - penicillin to kill the lepto in the bloodstream and doxycycline to kill the lepto in the kidney.
Vaccination is essential for prevention and control of the organism. Most of the cases in the Denver area have been L. grippotyphosa. The old vaccines did not carry that serovar, so they were ineffective in vaccinating against the disease. The new vaccines do contain that serovar. Dogs initially need a series of two vaccinations against leptospirosis. The vaccines are spaced 2 - 3 weeks apart. The vaccine is a bactrin and needs to be done yearly. The vaccine has been associated with a greater risk of vaccine reactions than other vaccines. For this reason, we recommend giving the vaccination apart from other vaccinations.
Please call Mesa Veterinary Hospital at 303 237-9542 with any questions you may have.