Leishmaniasis :(

Hi all, I just want to shear my story and hopefully warn other doggy owners be for they travel abroad. I actually live in Italy and have done for the last 2 years. My fiance and i got our amazing dog shortly after moving bk to his home town in the south of Italy. Marley our Irish staff is now a year and a half. Marley comes everywhere with us, locally we have the beach the forest and fields upon fields for him to burn his energy off. Up until 6 months ago he was an energetic, boundy, playful dog. 1st of all he got a cut/lesion on the inside tip of one of his ears. I just thought he had run into a stone wall or did it while dive bombing off a hill side. 6 months later the cut/lesion still hadn't healed after bathing, plasters etc??
While we were back in England visiting my parents, Marley stayed with the mother-in-laws. He cam down with a really dry cough and a snotty nose. When i returned i presumed it was kennel cough and so we took him to the vets.
The vet gave us some ointment for the cut and said lets see how the cough goes over the next few days as she had just given him his 2nd yearly vaccination. His noes, cough and cut did clear up but we started to notice as he woke up from his bed he was stiff! like he was 15 years old! hes only 2 ans a half?? We though he might be over doing it with his craziness out in the woods, beach and fields?
Then shortly after he had a noes bleed so we got him down the vets asap. She said all the symptoms he had experience over the last 6 months were symptoms of Leishmaniasis and so did a blood test. It was positive.....
I then started my research.

What is Leishmaniasis?

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease found all over the world and Leishmania can affect dogs and humans alike. It has been introduced to the North American continent fairly recently and many vets are not familiar with this disease, making it easy to miss. Leishmaniasis is caused by a protozoan parasite from the genus Leishmania and can only be transmitted by certain species of biting sand fly. The disease exists in two forms: cutaneous Leishmania and visceral Leishmania. Both types can affect dogs. Visceral Leishmania is much more serious than Cutaneous Leishmania, since it means that parasites have reached vital internal organs of the dog.

Leishmaniasis symptoms in dogs

Leishmaniasis will progress slowly in the dog’s body and it can take up to seven years from infection to the point when the dog owner starts to notice Leishmaniasis symptoms in the dog. The symptoms are often vague and the vet might treat the dog for other more common diseases before realising that the cause of the problems is Leishmaniasis. There are also quite a lot of dogs that seem to be naturally resistant to the parasite – they are infected but they never develop any symptoms of Leishmaniasis. In endemic areas, up to 90% of the dogs can have a genetic predisposition not to develop any symptoms.

Common symptoms of Leishmaniasis in dogs are weakness, listlessness, intolerance to exercise, and loss of appetite (often leading to weight loss). In some dogs, these symptoms are accompanied with hepatosplenomegaly, local or generalized lymphadenopathy, and/or a fever. Up to 90% of dogs suffering from symptomatic Leishmaniasis have both visceral and cutaneous lesions. Cutaneous Leishmaniasis lesions are normally dry and the dog will loose its hair. The head is usually the first place for lesions to show, especially on the muzzle and pinna. Lesions originating on the footpads are also quite common. Eventually, the Leishmaniasis lesions can spread to the rest of the dog’s body.

Articular involvement is not uncommon when it comes to Leishmaniasis in dogs, and can lead to swollen joints and a stiff gait. Other symptoms of Leishmaniasis in dogs are chronic diarrhoea, deformed and brittle nails, and ocular lesions.

Leishmaniasis treatment for dogs

Unfortunately, Leishmaniasis in dogs is difficult to treat. Experts still don’t know why, but visceral Leishmaniasis is much harder to treat in dogs than in humans. In many dogs, the symptoms re-appear as soon as treatment is stopped.

In areas where Leishmaniasis is endemic, the most commonly used Leishmaniasis treatment for dogs is a combination of allopurinol and a pentavalent antimonial, e.g. meglumine antimonite or sodium stibogluconate. If you live in the United States, Pentostam® (sodium stibogluconate) is currently the only available antimonial drug. Unfortunately, a lot of parasites are today resistance to the abovementioned compounds. There are also problematic side-effects.

Another possible treatment is Amphotericin B since this drug binds sterols and disrupts the permeability of the cell membranes of the dog. This drug is unfortunately nephrotoxic, and the treatment can not be said to be highly effective.

Parenterally administered Paramomycin will act synergistically with antimonials (e.g. meglumine antimonite or sodium stibogluconate), thereby creating higher levels of antimonials in the body of the dog for a longer period of time, but this is also nephrotoxic.

Pentamidine isethionate has proven effective against Leishmaniasis in dogs, but you have to take your dog to the vet for a minimum of 15 intramuscular injections. These injections are undoubtedly painful for the dog.

Several types of orally administered drugs are efficient when it comes to merely containing the disease, but the cost for long term treatment can be hard for many dog owners. Examples of such drugs are Itraconazole, Fluconazole, Miconazole, and Ketaconazole. Another problem with prolonged routine use of such drugs is the risk of drug resistance.

I am just gutted we were not warned about this before so we might of been able to buy him the scalibor collar. Now our poor little boy has this horrible virus and his life could be shortened. We have been lucky and it hasn't spread to his kidney, but it has been horrible seeing him go through it. When we 1st started with the injections twice a day he went all scabby around his muzzle and ears. He had the worst fever and we though we were going to lose him. He has lost a lot of weight and his claws look awful. After a month his energy levels have just started to pick up but for a 2 and a half year old dog he is no where near where he should be. I'm just scared it relapses.

Please please warn other doggy owners of the horriable virus and save there beloved pets. Wish someone could of done it for us.

Hi Nikki
Thank you for all the info in your post
-the virus you posted about is something I had heard of,but thats about all

Felt really sad reading Marleys story ,so glad he has caring ownersl like you and you and your partner

Sending Marley some BIG HUGS-he is certainly a brave little boy-hope he continues to improve-you must be SO worried for him
Thinking of you
Maureen

I'd not heard of this before and it sounds quite terrifying. Best wishes to you and to Marley for a full and speedy recovery.

Barry

I have never heard of this either, so I am glad that you have put this info up (thank you) - although under unfortunate circumstances. Big hugs to Marley, I really hope he is back to his normal self soon.

Hi, it is very common in the area where I live and I know of quite a few dogs who are affected by it. Luckily it can be treated ( not cured ) but it means life long medication. I have been very lucky with mine but have used the scallibur collar for many years. It is not a 100% but it is the best you can get and I find that it is also the best for ticks and fleas. many of my friends around have now started putting this collar on their dogs and find it is also much better to prevent ticks than any other collar or drops.

Thank you very much for taking the time to post this

Sending you and Marley all best wishes

We spend most of our time in Greece with our dog Rosie. I am aware of this virus and Rosie always wears her Scalibor collar.
I have been told by our local vet she is expecting a vaccination against this to be made available within the year. Lets hope so