In the US, 66% of households own a pet. That’s almost 87 million homes. Even more striking, 97% of US pet owners consider their animals to be part of the family. This may not come as a surprise for those of us in the veterinary field, but it does underscore the growing demand for veterinary services — placing considerable pressure on our dedicated veterinary healthcare teams.
To help confirm a diagnosis of canine leptospirosis, veterinarians today must rely on serologic testing with the microscopic agglutination test. Interpreting the test can be problematic, though, especially early on in the disease or in a recently vaccinated dog.
Obvious clinical signs may be apparent in only about 5% to 10% of dogs infected with B. burgdorferi. So the harder question is, how should we manage the vast majority of infected dogs that show no clinical signs?