We go the no-lepto route here, too. Even living in the country, I won't risk it. My breeder had a country place, and she wrote NO LEPTO across the top of the puppy shot records she gave us.
Narmowen most likely has a line that doesn't have issues with it. She's very knowledgeable about genetics, so she can make an informed, responsible decision about the safety of lepto for her dogs. Many of us either have lines that have a no-lepto recommendation or don't know if it's been an issue. I go by "When in doubt, leave lepto out."
Exactly. Everyone needs to make their own, informed decision. If a dog doesn't need it, and probably won't run into the situations where lepto occurs, there's no reason for it.
My shelties aren't administered Lepto, but my sporting dogs did get the shot.
Sporting dogs who hunt in the fields are more prone to pick up Lepto, and that is why the vets give the shot to them.
That's why we give ours Lepto. We live in the middle of the woods, full of the animals that carry/can carry it, and we take lots of walkies in state land, so I'd rather have them covered.
Some links on Lepto in Michigan (and the reasons why we vac against it
http://www.michvma.org/documents/MVC Proceedings 2009/Renning, Lepto MVC 2008.pdf
"Recently published studies suggest that about 25% of Michigan dogs are exposed to pathogenic Leptospira and that Grippotyphosa is the most common serovar."
"However, the primary hosts such as raccoons, opossum, rats, and other dogs have access to almost any surface in most environments. They inhabit yards as well as wooded areas that surround them. The next best tool that we have to prevent illness is vaccination. I recommend that the four-way vaccine be used whenever possible. The most common Leptospira serovar that canines are exposure to in Michigan is Grippotyphosa and the dog is the maintenance host for serovar Canicola. Use of any two-way vaccine alone will miss one of these serovars. It is recommended to give a two vaccine series three weeks apart followed by a yearly booster. This vaccine should not be given to puppies less than nine weeks of age. In highly endemic areas an initial three-vaccine series given three weeks apart should be given followed by annual or bi-annual repeat vaccination."
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26943--,00.html
"The significance of leptospirosis in wildlife species that appear to be susceptible to Leptospira infections (white-tailed deer, raccoon, striped skunk, red fox, gray fox, opossums, rats and mice) is that they serve as reservoir hosts only. Even this status is not clear because very few leptospirosis outbreaks in humans and domestic animals have implicated wildlife species other than rodents (rats and mice). In Michigan, we are concerned primarily with the likelihood of transmission from white-tailed deer to cattle and humans. Investigations have revealed lower prevalences of leptospiral antibodies in deer than cattle; much lower rates of organism isolation from deer than cattle; very few deer with clinical disease; and differences in the frequencies of similar serovars between deer and cattle. While these results indicate that white-tailed deer are exposed to Leptospira organisms, the deer play an insignificant role in the transmission of bovine leptospirosis."
