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Leishmania is a nightmare for the dog –
and the dog’s owner as well!
Common in southern
European countries, like Greece, but unfortunately not easy
to recognize,
Leishmania is an illness transferred
from an infected animal to another animal by a host, such as a sand fly.
The fly stings an infected animal and
then it serves as a host for the parasite. After a few days with the host,
the parasite changes and it is then possible for it to infect another
animal. So, when the sand fly needs food again it finds another dog, stings
it and transfers the parasite, which thrives in the red blood cells, slowly
destroying them.
The illness can appear in many
different ways, and sometimes it is even possible for a dog to have the
parasite without having problems. With other dogs, the illness shows soon
after the infestation. This of course has to do with the individual defense
system of the dog.
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The Symptoms are many and
varied:
Listlessness; loss of
weight (even though the dog eats well, or sometimes even more than normal);
problems with the joints (not always all the joints, sometimes only one or
two);
Also, various skin
problems can mean your pet has Leishmania. Dry or scaly skin, non- healing
wounds, skin patches without hair, and symmetric baldness of the skin at
both sides of the body or head can all be caused by the nasty parasite.
The areas where the skin problems first
appear are usually around the nose, ears, and eyes. Light rose-colored
patches on the eyelids or around the nose are the first signs you see, as
are the bald places at the back of the ears.
Other signs which may
signal the Leishmania disease are strong growth of the nails, spontaneous
nose bleedings, diarrhea, chronic infections of the eye, dry nose, anemia,
swollen lymph glands.
Also, in a later stage, kidney and
liver problems develop.
As you can see, there are quite a few
symptoms of this terrible disease.
If your pet dog shows
any of the aforementioned signs, it would be wise to get your dog examined
and blood tested by your vet.
Fortunately, there are
some treatments available these days so Leishmania does not have to be
fatal, as long as you are in time! Therefore, an early diagnosis is very
important!
However, isn’t it much better to
prevent your dog from this suffering in the first place?
That is why it is
recommended for pet owners to use a good Leishmania-protection product from
April until the end of October and even better, during the entire year.
There are good collars which work for
six months against the sand fly, as well as drops which you put on your dog
every month.
With the proper protection, you and your pet dog can enjoy the island’s
wonderful outdoor life without worrying about Leishmania.
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