Dog Owners Be Careful Of This Deadly Infection

Wet fall weather creates the perfect conditions for Leptospirosis, a type of deadly bacterial infection that attacks all of a dog's organs.

Each year there are stories of dogs who fall ill and die from this bacteria:

"Dr. Reed Stevens, the director of Ellicott Small Animal Hospital in Buffalo, said they've seen an uptick in Lepto cases this year. Three dogs the hospital treated with Lepto in the past two months died from it," reported WKBW in 2019.

The bacteria lives in water, so if your dog has access to standing water -- and in the fall, that can be in a lot of places -- you need to monitor your dog carefully.

"That means your dog could get it by licking a puddle, or stepping in wet grass and then licking themselves. It's not only dangerous for dogs, but it's also dangerous for humans," says WKBW.

If caught early enough, Leptospirosis is treatable, but the only way to know for sure if your dog is infected is to be tested at a veterinarian's office.

Symptoms include:

• fever
• loss of appetite
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• dehydration
• lethargy