Canine Infectious Disease Update: Leptospirosis and Blastomycosis

Leptospirosis and blastomycosis can present with nonspecific findings and require clinicians to integrate exposure history, clinical signs, imaging, and targeted diagnostic testing. This two-hour program provides practical updates on the recognition and management of these important canine infectious diseases. The leptospirosis session will review changing epidemiology, including disease in urban and small-breed dogs; zoonotic risk; clinical presentation; interpretation of serology, PCR, and point-of-care testing; treatment; vaccination; and prevention. The blastomycosis session will focus on the clinical use of Blastomyces urine antigen testing to support diagnosis, monitor response to therapy, and inform prognosis, with attention to radiographic disease severity and the limitations of applying numerical antigen cutoffs. Attendees will leave with a clearer framework for determining when to suspect each disease, selecting and interpreting appropriate diagnostic tests, initiating treatment, monitoring patients, communicating risk and prognosis to clients, and applying current prevention recommendations in general practice.