NS, Canada: Halifax vets are warning dog owners to look out for leptospirosis

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/2017/08/15/vets-warn-of-leptospirosis-outbreak-in-hrm-.html


Your dog could be making you sick: Halifax vets see rising cases of rare infection
Multiple cases of leptospirosis have been reported, which can lead to organ failure in dogs and humans.
Halifax vets are warning dog owners to look out for leptospirosis.
By: Nicole Gnazdowsky For Metro Published on Tue Aug 15 2017

Veterinarians are warning dog owners to take extra precautions protecting your pooch after a recent outbreak has landed dozens of dogs in emergency vet care.

Leptospirosis is a generally rare bacterial infection, so much so that veterinarian and owner of Sackville Animal Hospital, Tyler Hughes, will usually go all year without seeing a case? but this year, he said things have been different...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/halifax-woman-warns-leptospirosis-her-220556950.html

Halifax woman warns of leptospirosis after her husky dies
[CBC]
CBCOctober 22, 2017


A Halifax woman whose trained therapy dog died this month after contracting leptospirosis is warning dog owners to be vigilant about the infectious disease that's on the rise in the municipality.

Two weeks ago, Brenda Potter noticed that Pippin, her 11-year-old Siberian husky, wasn't eating. She took him to the vet but it was already too late. Two days later, Pippin's kidneys started to fail and Potter said goodbye.

Potter, who has been breeding Siberians since 1977, doesn't know how he came into contact with the infectious bacteria and that's what worries her the most. Pippin was a trained therapy dog that visited kids at the Ronald McDonald House every week.

"Talk to anybody who knows the dog, there's just something special about him," Potter said. "I want Pippen's death to make a difference."

'Overrun' with cases

Dogs can contract leptospirosis by drinking contaminated water or coming in contact with other infected dogs through their urine...