Leishmaniasis

 

 

Canine Leishmaniosis

 

It is carried out and transmitted by sand fly which is active in summer between May and September. A sand fly is small, yellow and does not buzz and can also give us rather painful stings.

 

 

Very often significant changes to the surface of the skin are to be seen and in the worst case the animal suffers kidney failure.

.Common symptoms are characterized by enlarged lymph nodes and sometimes by nosebleeds 

This disease is not curable, however, due to today's drugs the illness can be reduced considerably and thus prolong the dog’s life for many years.

 

Only when dog’s kidneys fail to perform should one decide to put it to sleep-because kidney failure is usually deadly and rather painful.

 

The dog cannot transmit the disease to a person.

 

In rare cases a human can catch this disease when the sand fly stings a person with very little immunity (e.g. aids patients) can the disease be caught. Because we are all constantly stung by the sand fly, it is clear that by nature we are protected against the fly through antibodies. This also has been scientifically proven (In India for example, Leishmaniosis is widespread in humans) because of bad living conditions which also lead to low immunity      

Leishmaniasis can manifest itself in many different forms.

               

How can you protect your dog?

 

• Try to protect it from the sand fly!
• Use anti-insect lamps, devices etc...
• Spray mosquitoes with Permethrin because sand flies are smaller than the mesh used on windows etc...(Permethrin is used to protect dogs from fleas and also from sand fly in the form of spot-on and collars.)
• At night dogs should sleep indoors because the sand fly is most active at night time and the mountainous area here is an ideal breeding place for it

How can I detect Leishmaniosis?

 

These parasites can ONLY be detected through blood test!

It would be advisable to have blood taken, preferably in November or December to be able to react at an early stage to this disease.

 

What can if do if my dog already has Leishmaniosis?

 

The treatment consists mainly of four components:

 But the treatment is very different in every dog because of the multiple symptoms  

 It is important to be in contact with your vet to understand the development of the disease 

 

Or maybe I can give you an advice by email or skype   in your special case to sort out the treatment you dog needs 

Anyway  -  some product you can't buy in your country because there the drug  hasn't been approved 

 

 Vaccination

 

In "Comunidad Valenciana" .since  the first of  January  2012    a vaccination against leishmaniosis  is available 

 

 Correct approach

•  the dog has to be 6 month old 
• a blood test has to be done to exclude  leishmaniasis 
• the first three inoculations have to be done  an distance of three weeks each 
• following inoculations   once a year  ( you have to make an blood test previously every year to be sure that the dog is negative )
• Don’t vaccinate between April and October because the sand fly is active