Leishmaniasis is a serious disease that all dogs can suffer from and if left untreated, it can kill the animal . In Spain there is a strong prevalence of the disease and only some areas of the Cantabrian coast and the Canary Islands as a whole are saved from it.
This disease is caused by a mosquito (sandfly) infected with Leishmania that, when biting the dog, inoculates the parasite. The incubation period of the disease ranges from 3 to 18 months and, exceptionally, it can remain latent for years.
Some dogs are resistant to leishmaniasis and even if they are bitten by infected sandflies, they will not show symptoms of disease as long as they are eating a proper diet and are not under stress.
On the other hand, climate change has caused sandflies to proliferate , which is why the number of infected dogs is growing. For all this, early diagnosis is especially important. Leishmaniasis has no cure but it can be treated with drugs so that the life of the animal is perfectly normal and long. The sooner it is detected, the sooner you can take action on the matter.
Among the clinical symptoms of leishmaniasis, the most common is hair loss, mainly around the eyes, ears and nose . The animal will also lose weight even if it continues to eat normally and its nails will grow a lot. In addition, the wounds will not heal and you may have muscle atrophy, lethargy, lameness, and joint inflammation, among other things.
Diagnosing leishmaniasis in a dog is not easy and there is no single laboratory test that offers an unequivocal result . This is because not all dogs that carry the disease eventually develop it . It will be necessary to differentiate between infected dogs and sick ones, which will need drugs and specific care.
Leishmaniasis occurs due to an inadequate response of the dog’s immune system, which produces an abnormal amount of antibodies to fight the parasite. Therefore, the diagnosis, in addition to taking into account the clinical assessment of the animal (symptoms it presents), will consider the existence of antibodies and their quantity .
If you suspect that your animal is sick, take him to the vet for a blood test and, if necessary, take a sample of bone marrow or tissue from a swollen lymph node to examine under a microscope and see if there is any parasites or not.
– Leishmania test . It is a test that provides immediate results (in 10 minutes they are available) and that can be useful as a preliminary test . If a dog has no symptoms of the disease and tests negative, it is most likely healthy. If you test positive, you would need to have another test to see if the amount of antibodies you have is high enough to consider that you have leishmaniasis.
– IFI (indirect immunofluorescence). This technique, widely used and recommended internationally, detects both the presence of antibodies and their quantity . It will be confirmed that the dog suffers from leishmaniasis if the amount of antibodies exceeds the cut-off figure set by the laboratory and that it adjusts to parameters established by specialists.
– ELISA . This test is also quantitative in nature and is very useful.
An annual visit to the vet is an excellent measure to observe if there are symptoms, do a quick test, take measures in case it has been infected … and, ultimately, do what the specialist considers.
What can we do to prevent leishmaniasis? Some of the preventive actions that veterinarians recommend are:
– Use antiparasitic products. Available in spray, pipette and collar, these products try to prevent the mosquito from biting the animal. They are repellent but are not 100% effective . In fact, if on the packaging the manufacturer ensures that his product fully protects the dog, be suspicious, it is impossible. Ask your vet which one is the most suitable for your animal.
– Vaccinate the dog . The leishmaniasis vaccine is effective but you need to give the animal one every year.
– Keep the dog indoors from dusk to dawn between the months of May and October . You can also place mosquito nets in the areas where the animal is usually.
