Leptospirosis in dogs: symptoms, water risks and your family

This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If you're worried about your dog, speak to your vet.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that causes very serious illness in dogs and can be fatal. It damages vital organs such as the liver and kidneys (PDSA). It can also pass from animals to people, where it's known as Weil's disease (PDSA; NHS).

Symptoms to look out for

Symptoms vary a lot, but can include (PDSA):

• Jaundice: yellow gums and eyes (PDSA)
• Vomiting (PDSA; Blue Cross)
• Diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody (PDSA)
• Lethargy and eating less than normal (PDSA)
• Weight loss (PDSA)
• Drinking and weeing more than normal (PDSA), or excessive thirst (Blue Cross)
• Fever and muscle pain (Blue Cross)
• Difficulty breathing, breathing faster than normal, or coughing (PDSA)

Some dogs show few or no symptoms but can still spread the disease (PDSA).

How leptospirosis spreads

The bacteria spread in urine and can live in water or soil for months. They enter the body through the mouth, nose or wounds (PDSA). Blue Cross adds the eyes and broken skin (Blue Cross). Dogs most commonly catch it from:

• Contaminated water or soil, mainly from rat urine. In particular slow-moving or stagnant water such as rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, canals, drains and floodwater (PDSA).
• Rats, other wildlife and farm animals, through contact with their urine (PDSA). Dogs Trust also warns about gardens often visited by foxes, as it can spread in their urine (Dogs Trust).
• Other dogs, including sniffing or licking the ground where an infected dog has weed (PDSA).

PDSA says dogs are at higher risk if they live on a farm, regularly kill rodents or spend a lot of time swimming, but all dogs can catch it (PDSA).

Canals, ponds and wet walks

Here's where the sources say the risk is highest, and what helps:

• Let your vet know if your dog is often near stagnant or slow-flowing water, on farms or near rodents, so they can choose the right vaccine (PDSA).
• Keep puppies away from farms and stagnant water, including lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, canals, drains and floodwater, until they're fully vaccinated (PDSA).
• If your dog has missed a booster, avoid high-risk areas such as farm fields, ponds, stagnant water and rivers until they're protected again (PDSA).
• Seasons and weather matter too. In people, UKHSA says outbreaks are often linked to heavy rainfall and flooding, and that more cases are reported in England in summer and autumn (UKHSA).

Looking for walks? See our Liverpool walks and parks page.

The leptospirosis vaccine

• A yearly vaccination is the best way to help prevent leptospirosis (PDSA). The BSAVA lists it as a core vaccine needing an annual booster (BSAVA), and UKHSA notes it's part of the UK core vaccination programme for dogs (UKHSA).
• There are different types of the bacteria, so there are different vaccines. Some cover two strains (L2) and some four (L4). Ask your vet which will protect your dog best (PDSA).
• There's no titre (antibody) test that can replace the leptospirosis vaccine, so your dog will need the yearly booster even if you titre test for other diseases (PDSA; BSAVA).
• Unvaccinated puppies have no protection until one to three weeks after completing their course, depending on the vaccine (PDSA).

See our vaccinations guide and puppy vaccination timeline for more.

Treatment and outlook

Treatment includes antibiotics, a fluid drip, anti-sickness medication and sometimes pain relief. Dogs are treated in isolation to protect other pets and people (PDSA). Blue Cross says antibiotics can treat leptospirosis, but treatment isn't always successful and there can be long-term health complications (Blue Cross).

Some dogs recover if they get help quickly, but dogs with severe symptoms often die early in the disease. Some survivors develop long-term kidney disease (PDSA). If your dog is diagnosed, talk to your vet about testing or treating your other pets (PDSA).

Leptospirosis in people

NHS advice says leptospirosis is rare in the UK (NHS). UKHSA reports that from 2020 to 2023, England averaged 57 laboratory-confirmed and 89 probable cases a year (UKHSA).

Can I catch it from my dog?

The sources put this a little differently. PDSA says leptospirosis can pass from dogs to people and cause serious illness, but that it's rare in people (PDSA). The NHS says it's spread in the pee of infected animals, most commonly rats, mice, cows, pigs and dogs, but that it's very rare to get it from pets (NHS). People usually catch it when soil or freshwater containing infected pee, for example from a river, canal or lake, gets in their mouth, eyes or a cut (NHS).

Symptoms in people

Most people have no symptoms or mild flu-like symptoms, but some get seriously ill (NHS). Symptoms can include a high temperature, headache, body aches, tummy ache, being sick, diarrhoea, red eyes and yellowing of the skin or eyes (NHS). See a GP if you might have been exposed and feel unwell. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 if you have jaundice, a rash, can't pee, have swollen ankles, feet or hands, chest pain or shortness of breath (NHS).

Protecting your family

• Wash your hands with soap and water after handling animals (NHS).
• Cover cuts and grazes with waterproof plasters, and clean any wounds as soon as possible (NHS; UKHSA).
• Shower as soon as you can if you've been in potentially infected water (NHS).
• Check your dog is vaccinated against leptospirosis. There's no vaccine for people (NHS; UKHSA).
• If your dog is diagnosed or suspected, wash your hands carefully after touching them, wear disposable gloves to clean bedding or anything that may have had urine on it, and follow your vet's advice (PDSA).
• If you're worried you might have leptospirosis, contact your GP (PDSA).

Finding a vet in Liverpool

Browse our Liverpool vets directory to find a practice near you, and ask which leptospirosis vaccine they recommend for your dog's lifestyle.

Out-of-hours emergencies in Liverpool: Medivet 24 Hour Alder, 410 Eaton Road, West Derby, L12 3HG, says it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 0151 220 4668 (Medivet, checked 18 Oct 2026). Vets Now Liverpool, based in the PDSA Pet Hospital on Woolfall Heath Avenue, Huyton, L36 3YD, opens from 6pm on weeknights, from noon on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays and bank holidays. Call 0151 271 5727 (Vets Now, checked 18 Oct 2026). Always ring before you set off, and ask your own vet which service covers their out-of-hours calls.

More in our dog health series

• How dog illnesses spread
• Dog vaccinations explained
• Puppy vaccination timeline
• Parvovirus in dogs
• Kennel cough
• Lungworm in dogs

See all our dog health and first aid guides

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