Pet Care Info
If you visit the coast* with your dog, we have good news for you. A new and more protective vaccine against the deadly disease Leptospirosis has just been released.
We have emailed with updates about this disease multiple times in the last few years, and our March update https://gungahlinvet.com.au/petcare-pointers/leptospirosis-update-march-2024/ provides much useful information. There is now updated information.
The new vaccine, Nobivac Lepto2, is now available from Gungahlin Veterinary Hospital. It has been released in large quantity, with an assurance that there will be ample supplies for all of Australia – we do not expect the great supply problems for Lepto (and other) vaccine that we experienced in recent years.
Nobivac Lepto 2 does require your dog to start Leptospirosis vaccines again (because there is a new, previously unused strain in the new vaccine), with TWO doses 4 weeks apart. Maximal protection is reached THREE WEEKS after the second dose, so try to allow enough time for both vaccinations and the post vaccinal onset of protection (start vaccinations 7-8 weeks before travel to a risk area).
The limits for primary course vaccination are 3 to 6 weeks apart, but 4 weeks is optimal. Protection is maintained by annual boosters. This vaccine can be given at the same visit as other vaccinations, ProHeart injection, Cytopoint, Beransa, or other medical treatment. We do avoid vaccinating animals who are unwell or undergoing surgery.
As a bonus, the new vaccine is much less painful than the old Protech C2i product.
The current cost of a primary course of Nobivac Lepto2, boosters etc, is the same as our current cost for the old vaccine. A primary course ($101.30 + Consultation Fee) includes the cost of the second (required) vaccination and associated visit (note this is a 5-minute visit and no other matters can be dealt with at that second visit). If your dog has had a primary course or booster vaccination against Leptospirosis since 1 September 2024, we will provide the primary course using 2 x 5 minute consultations and wave any consultation fee (unless you seek a longer consultation to discuss other matters).
* Although Canberrans most commonly visit the South Coast of NSW, Leptospirosis (in the recent outbreak) has been reported from large parts of Sydney (especially around the Central and Eastern suburbs, but as far west as Horsley Park and Bardia), Newcastle and as far north as Firefly, Wollongong and surrounds, and as far west as Mittagong, and around Jervis Bay and further south. The disease is also prevalent in far northern Australia, especially on Cape York. It can occur anywhere, and so you should seek local advice about the need for this vaccination before travelling with your dog.
Regardless of vaccination other measures are available to reduce the risk to your dog.
Risk mitigation methods are important measures to prevent leptospirosis. Contact with sources of infection should be limited. This includes limiting swimming in or drinking of stagnant water (pools, puddles, ponds, dams etc) and freshwater streams, and avoiding contact with possible reservoir hosts such as rodents and farm animals. (Adapted from a University of Sydney publication).
To re-iterate previous advice, we no longer consider Canberra to be a risk area for Leptospirosis, and so vaccination is not required unless you intend to travel with your pet.
And don’t forget the critical importance of Tick prevention if visiting any of these areas!
As always, your veterinarian and the team at Gungahlin Veterinary Hospital are the best source of information, advice and products to protect your pet. Please contact us if you have any questions, or ring for an appointment.
Michael Hayward BVSc FAVA
for all the staff at Gungahlin Veterinary Hospital
December 2024