This question was asked during the webinar on "The Increasing Threat of Canine Leptospirosis ...":
How high should one's index of suspicion be in currently vaccinated animals?
Answer provided by Dr. Jason Stull & Dr. Michelle Evason:
Studies suggest leptospirosis vaccination will greatly reduce the chance and severity of disease, but not completely prevent disease in all dogs. As the current vaccines cover 4 of the common ~7 serovars affecting dogs, leptospirosis still needs to be considered for a properly vaccinated dog. The frequency that a clinic will see clinical leptospirosis in vaccinated dogs will, at least in part, depend on how frequently these other serovars not included in the vaccine are circulating in your region. Unfortunately, such data are not available; however, a clinic may be able to get a good feel for this by performing a quick scan of clinic records. A reliable estimate of the percentage of dogs a clinic has diagnosed with leptospirosis (say over the past 1-2 years) that were properly vaccinated at time of diagnosis will give a good feel for this issue in your area.
