Brooks was a three-year-old German Shepherd with big black eyes, a wet tongue and a wagging tail. "I raised him from a puppy. He loved kids and adults alike. We did everything together. We went to dog shows, played ball and swam in the lake. Raising German Shepherds is my hobby. He was the perfect dog," explained Lew Bunch of Kansas City, Kan.

As a member of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America and part of a Regional Club Committee, Bunch took his dogs to the veterinarian on a regular basis and knew each of them very well.

One afternoon when they returned from a dog show, he noticed that Brooks was dragging a little. "His eyes looked so tired. He didn't eat, which is not uncommon after a dog show circuit, but the next morning, he picked at his food and then laid down. Even though he didn't have violent symptoms, I took him to the veterinarian right away."

Bunch's veterinarian diagnosed Brooks with Leptospirosis, an infectious bacterial disease carried by many wild animals that often affect the kidneys and liver, causing damage that can lead to fatal organ failure. It is transmitted by contact with the urine of an infected animal or by contact with water or moist soil contaminated by infected urine. The zoonotic potential of leptospriosis must always be kept in mind if leptospirosis is suspected in a dog. Some of the symptoms are high fever, jaundice and hemorrhaging. Bunch was familiar with the disease and understood its severity.

"Brooks could have somehow contracted it from the dog show. Or it could have been from the urine of an infected raccoon or skunk passing through our back yard. It can happen anywhere," he said.

Brooks died within three days of his diagnosis, but Bunch was able to protect his other dogs by immunizing his eight puppies with a Lepto immunization manufactured by Fort Dodge Animal Health.

"Some veterinarians worry about the risks of immunizing, but without immunization, who knows? If you don't immunize, your dog could die. It's like Parvo, Lyme disease or anything else. I would rather immunize and know that my dog is protected than gamble with possible exposure," said Bunch.

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