Leptospirosis causes severe multi-organ disease in dogs and is transmissible to humans. Vaccination and risk management protect both dogs and their owners from this potentially fatal infection.
Leptospirosis welfare significance is severe for affected dogs — the combination of hepatic failure, renal failure, and haemorrhage causes rapidly progressive disease with high mortality even with intensive treatment. Surviving dogs may have permanent organ damage. The disease is particularly tragic because it is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. Annual leptospirosis vaccination is a welfare obligation for dogs with any outdoor exposure, particularly those in risk environments. Owner education about risk factors — swimming in rivers and lakes, contact with wildlife areas, rural working dogs — enables targeted prevention. The zoonotic dimension adds urgency: protecting dogs protects their owners.