There are very few diseases you can get directly from your pet, but one of them is especially easy to contract: leptospirosis, a highly contagious illness spread through the urine of infected wildlife.
Dogs don’t even need to make contact with wildlife to get the disease—simply drinking water or ingesting dirt that’s contaminated with the urine of common backyard animals like squirrels, raccoons, and foxes is enough to make your dog very sick.
It’s important to know that this disease is also zoonotic, which means if your dog catches it, the human members of your family could as well!
Symptoms for both dogs and humans are similar and can include:
- Fever
- Shivering
- Muscle tenderness
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
- Abdominal pain
We want your pet and your family to be protected! Schedule an appointment online [TEXT LINK TO APPOINTMENT PAGE] or call us at [HOSPITAL TEL NUMBER] for more information.