Leishmaniasis
Canine Leishmaniasis is a disease that is caused by a parasite that is transmitted by small biting sand flies. The sandfly isn’t present in the UK but certain areas within the Mediterranean area offer the right climate for the sandfly, which prefers warm, dry climates.
Many of the shelters we work with are located off the Atlantic coast of Spain, which has a much wetter and cooler climate to the rest of Spain. SO in these areas, cases of Leishmaniasis aren’t endemic.
If left untreated, Leishmaniasis is a very serious disease for dogs and can progress to fatal kidney failure. However if caught early and the correct treatment is administered, this can resolve the clinical symptoms experienced by the dogs and many dogs can go on to lead a long and happy life.
We test all our dogs that arrive into shelters in Spain for Leishmaniasis.
To do this we use a Leishmaniasis blood antibody test.
Results
The results of your dogs Leishmaniasis test will be communicated to you as soon as we have them.
If a dog has a positive result, the test used shows an antibody reading which gives an indication of how advanced the disease is.
With a positive test, full blood test are ran to determine if their internal organs are affected and give them treatment to control the disease. Once the disease is controlled they can travel to the UK. Once in the UK they initially need 6-monthly Leishmaniasis antibody tests to ensure that the disease has not become active again. After a period of time, if the disease is controlled, the test interval can drop down to annually. You will be offered full support from our team if adopting a dog with a positive test.
Sometimes a test may show a ‘low positive’ to Leishmaniasis. This means that they have been exposed to the disease but don’t have the active version (and no symptoms). If tests show their internal organs are fine they don’t need treatment but they will need regular tests to keep an eye on their antibody levels.
The majority of our dogs will receive a negative test result. This means that they don’t have antibodies for Leishmaniasis at this time. However due to the incubation period for the disease (up to seven years) it is possible for a dog to test negative but to later develop symptoms and test positive and require treatment. For this reason it is really important for adopters to be familiar with Leishmaniasis symptoms and for dogs from endemic areas to do regular tests.
Symptoms
These can include:
- Weight loss
- Running a temperature
- Abnormal nails (unusually thick or brittle)
- Anaemia
- Arthritis
- Renal failure
- Apathy, weakness
- Progressive muscular atrophy
- Cutaneous ulcers or other wounds which don’t heal up
- Wounds which don’t heal
- Dry skin
- Dandruff
- Hair loss
- Hair loss round the eyes
- Bleeding from the nose
- Swollen lymphatic glands, liver, spleen
- Limps
- Lesions in the eyes
Of course these symptoms are not exclusive to Leishmaniasis, and may be caused by another illness.
If you have any concerns or doubts, please request your vet to run a Leishmaniasis antibody blood test to rule it out, and contact your rehomer for support.
As the popularity of adopting dogs from abroad has increased, most UK vets now have some experience of dealing with cases of Leishmaniasis. However, we strongly recommend that you make contact with your rehomer if your dog does show symptoms or tests positive so that we can support you.
Some UK vets may have limited experience in dealing with cases of Leishmaniasis and in worse case scenarios it can lead to poor advice being given to adopters regarding euthanasia when a dog could have recovered with treatment, or unnecessary and expensive tests being undertaken.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have concerns over your dog and Leishmaniasis. We provide full support for all dogs and work closely with vets in Spain very experienced in treating dogs with Leishmaniasis to support both adopters and their vets.
Brucellosis
Canine brucellosis is an infectious disease in dogs caused by the Brucella Canis bacteria.
Typically this disease affects a dogs reproductive organs, and can cause infertility and pregnancy loss. It can also cause other health issues affecting their joints and spine.
It isn’t common in the UK but there have been a rise in cases in recent years attributed to the increase in imported dogs.
In line with best practice we now test all adult dogs for brucellosis when arriving into the shelters we work with in Spain.
The results of these test results will always be communicated to adopters and your dog’s test certificate displaying their results will be given to you along with their adoption documents.
For more information on brucellosis, see https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/conditions/brucellosis-in-dogs
