Leptospirosis is an illness that's transmitted mostly by urine from rats and other wildlife, then passed on to other species. Now, local animal care centers are noticing an increase in case
Standing in the entryway at her San Diego home, Karen Olson holds up a framed picture of two dogs.
"This is our lovely Ozzie with his sibling," Olson told NBC 7 on Thursday.
Two weeks ago, 4-year old Ozzie was healthy. A few days later, he had died.
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"We put him on the couch and called someone to cross the rainbow bridge for him," Olson said. "It was tough."
When Ozzie wasn't feeling well initially, Olson knew something wasn't right, so she took him to an animal hospital. There, a veterinarian tested the dog for leptospirosis (commonly known as lepto), and the test came back positive.
Olson, a lifelong dog owner and pet lover, was mystified.
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"What is Lepto?" Olson wondered. "I had no idea. Please explain it to me."
Dogs can be infected by simply walking through puddles, rivers, streams, ponds or wet, dewy grass and then licking their paws.
Dr. Zarah Hedge, chief medical officer for the San Diego Humane Society, said there are some misconceptions about lepto.
"Historically, people think, 'Oh, my dog doesn't go hiking or to rural areas,' but we see it a lot in urban areas because we have wildlife and rodents who can shed the bacteria," Hedge said. "So it can be in a puddle of water after rain, so dogs anywhere are thought to be at risk for the disease."
An added concern with lepto is that it's a zoonotic disease and can be transmitted to humans, which can lead to liver failure, kidney damage, meningitis, even death.
"Untreated, it can be quite dangerous for dogs and people," Hedge said. "As soon as your dog has clinical signs, they are shedding bacteria in their urine."
Humans exposed to lepto should seek medical care and, possibly, antibiotics, as soon as possible.
For animals, there is a vaccine for lepto, which Hedge recommends.
Olson was not aware of the lepto vaccine but since Ozzie's illness, she has vaccinated her other dogs and hopes that, by sharing his story, she raises awareness.
"We are animal lovers," Olson said. "I don't want anyone to go through what we went through. So I just hope people will listen to this and understand: Call a vet, get vaccinated and, if your dog is lethargic, get tested. It's worth it."
