# surprise lepto vaccine



## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

WinnieJane said:


> I am annoyed. I took our pup in for her 12-week DHPP. They also gave her a lepto vaccine, and informed me after the fact.
> 
> I am not necessarily opposed to this vaccine. (Mitzi eats everything and we have several raccoons living in the alley behind our house, so I might have opted for it.) But I hadn't had the chance to consider it or the risks in our region, and I'm not sure I would have chosen to do it at the same time as the DHPP.
> 
> ...


I got my last dog from a breeder and she said she did not give it to her dogs, so I did not give it to Sage


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I wouldn't panic. I've moved to a higher risk area and am considering giving the vaccine to Maizie. 

Here's a good article to read: Recent Cases of Leptospirosis in Parts of the U.S. of Concern to Dog Owners - American Kennel Club

"In the past the leptospirosis vaccine was associated with causing adverse reactions more frequently than other vaccinations. _New vaccines, however, may be less likely to cause adverse reactions, according to some vets_."

I hope this is true, although we've only had one dog who reacted badly. Our previous dogs routinely got the lepto vaccine.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

I chose to give lepto to Poppy as we also live in a high rsk area. I did have a long conversation with my vet about the risk of a reaction. He has been in practice for 25 years and has never had a dog have a reaction to the lepto vaccine. 

If I were in your shoes I would make it abundantly clear that your vet's office is not to administer any vaccines without your permission ahead of time. I have left a vet many years ago as she gave DHPP and rabies on the same day when I had explicitly told her not to. I was furious and she just shrugged it off. I left the practice, found another vet and told the practice owner exactly why I was leaving. He was not happy but I had already made up my mind. 

Best of luck, I am sure everything will be fine. Go ahead and do the booster when scheduled. Poppy had no adverse response at all....it was as if she never got the vaccine.

Viking Queen


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

It's my understanding that the lepto vaccine doesn't protect against all the forms of lepto, and that it only lasts 6 months. For the last several years, I've been passing on this vaccine. When I was actively showing, taking my dogs to venues where there were often cattle, I did vac for this. Now that I'm living in a rural area with lots of wildlife (I see deer daily), I'm thinking of doing it again. I don't like giving it to young dogs and I don't vaccinate the elderly (at all for anything) either.

My husband's family lost their first Scottie (brought home from a military assignment in England) to leptospirosis in the 1960's, so I've always been aware of the danger.

I've vaccinated many many dogs, none of my Scottie pups went to their new homes without 2 sets of vacs. None of them ever had a vaccine reaction, but I know it can be very nasty if it does occur.


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

I forgot to say that when Mackey had his 12 week and 16 week shots, I stopped the vet before she gave the injection and made sure that it did not contain lepto. I'll give it later if I decide to give it. She also wanted to give him his rabies the same day at 16 weeks (the law in our state) but I really like them to be older for this one, and I won't be giving it on the same day as his other vacs. Rabies is the only vac I've had dogs react to...just a little lethargic for a day or 2.


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## WinnieJane (May 6, 2016)

Thank you, everyone. I'm still annoyed, but not anxious!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

We live in an area where leptospirosis is common and I trial outdoors in agility at a farm where I have seen foxes out in the day time (weird) and I also track, so I have always vaccinated for it in the combination DHLPP with no problems. I totally am with you on annoyed if you said you didn't want the lepto, but don't worry.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

sidewinder said:


> It's my understanding that the lepto vaccine doesn't protect against all the forms of lepto, and that it only lasts 6 months. For the last several years, I've been passing on this vaccine.


That was my understanding too. And I've done the same. No vaccine for Tonka either... despite our regular dog park visits. Last summer we heard reports of lepto approaching our area... but never quite made it past the Niagara Peninsula I think.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

My regular vet did the same with Pearl, even though on my file, in HUGE letters it says NO LEPTO! She told me after, in the front office and I just began to bawl. She had the gall to charge me for the visit, including the lepto shot. BUT, she called when I got home, apologized profusely, and gave me a credit for the visit. We do not do it- period. And if we did, it would be later than 6 months old and not in conjunction with any other shots.


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

I personally don't do this one at all. It only protects against some strains, is only supposed to be good for 6 months, and from what I understand, it has a high rate of adverse affects. It's already done, so just research any possible adverse affects and keep an eye out. You should be able to get that info from the vet or look it up online if you know the manufacturer. 

My old vet gave the 1 year rabies vaccine to Asaah and Finn when I explicitly asked (twice) for the 3 year rabies, so I understand how upset you are. Asaah's thyroid levels tanked after that shot, then dropped again after the 3 year rabies, so now I don't even want to do that one...at least Lepto is not required. I left that vet's practice. I feel like a vet who would do something like that without discussing it with the client first has no respect for the client. You can bet a doctor would be facing a malpractice suit for providing care without consent, so it gets me that vets get away with it. I thought about reporting my old vet but settled for informing him exactly why I was leaving his practice.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

ArreauStandardPoodle said:


> My regular vet did the same with Pearl, even though on my file, in HUGE letters it says NO LEPTO! She told me after, in the front office and I just began to bawl. She had the gall to charge me for the visit, including the lepto shot. BUT, she called when I got home, apologized profusely, and gave me a credit for the visit. We do not do it- period. And if we did, it would be later than 6 months old and not in conjunction with any other shots.


Arreau, with you *in particular* leading the pack for *so MANY* Spoo breeders in your work with interrelatedness, having the unknown variable of the Lepto vaccine just tossed willy nilly into the mix I can well imagine could devastate. No one here can fully appreciate the full impact of such an unexpected variable, but honestly it brought tears to me thinking of your careful, LOVING, costly, work potentially laid to waste from a medical 'professional's' lack of care. I might have lost faith in veterinarians from that, frankly.

As it is reading this and in another thread about a threat of a whole series having to be repeated (for no good scientific reason), I'm sure shying away from standard veterinary care is something to consider.

Mind you, my own medical doctor tried to ply me with multiple vaccines for my own body in a single visit, despite my immune disorder. None of us is safe if we do not advocate not only for ourselves, but for our beloved pets. Your program, which has so much to add to Standard Poodles worldwide, has also so much to lose from careless veterinarians. I'm glad your vet backed down later, but wtf, the damage was done. So I'm sorry, but your vet, like my own MD, imho should now be subject to additional scrutiny prior to acting on advice.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Streetcar said:


> Arreau, with you *in particular* leading the pack for *so MANY* Spoo breeders in your work with interrelatedness, having the unknown variable of the Lepto vaccine just tossed willy nilly into the mix I can well imagine could devastate. No one here can fully appreciate the full impact of such an unexpected variable, but honestly it brought tears to me thinking of your careful, LOVING, costly, work potentially laid to waste from a medical 'professional's' lack of care. I might have lost faith in veterinarians from that, frankly.
> 
> As it is reading this and in another thread about a threat of a whole series having to be repeated (for no good scientific reason), I'm sure shying away from standard veterinary care is something to consider.
> 
> Mind you, my own medical doctor tried to ply me with multiple vaccines for my own body in a single visit, despite my immune disorder. None of us is safe if we do not advocate not only for ourselves, but for our beloved pets. Your program, which has so much to add to Standard Poodles worldwide, has also so much to lose from careless veterinarians. I'm glad your vet backed down later, but wtf, the damage was done. So I'm sorry, but your vet, like my own MD, imho should now be subject to additional scrutiny prior to acting on advice.


Just wanted to say this was an emotional post and yes, while I will be very careful about following medical/veterinary advice, I'm not trying to suggest people stay away from doctors and veterinarians. They have benefitted me and my family immensely-both types, and I'm very grateful for that.


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## Fuzzy (Aug 28, 2016)

I'm sorry they didn't ask before hand. I would be upset too. 

How can I tell if I live in a high risk area? I wasn't going to do Lepto since the poodle I raised for the service dog org had a reaction while he was with me, and my vet said he's seen a lot of lepto reactions in poodles.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Here's a prevalence map: http://www.germanwatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dog-Leptospirosis-Map-US.gif


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