Leishmaniasis is one incurable infectious disease. It is transmitted by the bite of sandflies.
If left untreated, dogs will die within the next 12-24 months. But that doesn’t have to be!
In this article, you will learn how to identify canine leishmaniasis based on the symptoms.
We will also explain to you what treatment options are available for your four-legged friend if the worst comes to the worst.
Leishmaniasis symptoms in dogs: what are the typical signs?
Leishmaniasis in dogs shows symptoms such as weight loss due to loss of appetite, bouts of fever, diarrhea or lameness.
Inflammation of the liver, intestines, bone marrow, joints and muscles also occurs.
Signs of leishmaniasis include kidney failure, conjunctivitis and skin changes.
Because every dog reacts differentlyother symptoms can also appear in leishmaniasis in dogs.
Loss of appetite – diarrhea – weight loss – fever attacks
Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that can affect your dog’s entire body. The symptoms are therefore complex and non-specific.
By damaging internal organs, leishmaniasis leads to loss of appetite and diarrhea.
The result is heavy weight loss.
However, these symptoms occur in a variety of other diseases and do not immediately indicate organ damage.
Leishmaniasis has one fateful Course: It often takes months or years for the disease to break out.
The first signs are often violent episodes of fever. The immune system tries to defend itself against the invaders in the body through the fever.
Inflammation of the joints / lameness
By the bite of the sandfly unicellular parasites transfer. Among other things, these trigger inflammation in the joints of the four-legged friend.
The inflammation causes pain and lameness.
Again, it is not easy to recognize leishmaniasis.
If there is no suspicion, arthrosis or other inflammatory processes are often assumed at first.
Enlargement of the liver and spleen
Due to leishmaniasis, inner organs – especially the liver, spleen, kidneys and bone marrow.
The liver and spleen are attacked by the leishmaniasis protozoa.
They react to this with inflammation and the associated enlargement.
An inflamed liver can lead to acute liver failure.
Coat and skin changes
The leishmaniasis will also Mediterranean disease called. As the disease progresses, coat and skin changes ensure that leishmaniasis is recognized.
In the case of canine leishmaniasis, the symptoms are very different if the dogs fall ill in different regions of the Mediterranean.
Dogs infected in Greece often have scabs on their heads.
If leishmaniasis occurs in dogs in southern Spain or Portugal, open wounds are more likely to occur on the legs – especially in the area of the joints and paws.
Quite different again with northern Spanish dogs. They show unencrusted lesions.
Hair loss and eczema can also occur.
Interesting
External symptoms can, but do not have to, occur with leishmaniasis. There are also gradients without any outward signs.
eye diseases
pathological Changes in the eyes are symptoms in 92% of cases of canine leishmaniasis.
This is really very common and shows a typical symptom of leishmaniasis in dogs.
These diseases include, for example, conjunctivitis, inflammation of the edge of the eyelid, corneal ulcers, inflammation of the orbit, etc.
kidney failure
Another sign of leishmaniasis is acute kidney failure, as this is where the pathogens spread and destroy kidney cells.
A typical sign of kidney failure is that your dog is extremely thirsty.
This causes an increased urine production, but sometimes also a reduced one.
A strong smell of ammonia from your four-legged friend’s mouth can also be a clear indication of kidney failure.
Danger
You too can contract leishmaniasis if you are bitten by an infected sand fly. However, your dog cannot infect you!
When should I go to the vet and what are the treatment options for leishmaniasis?
Any symptoms of leishmaniasis should prompt you to see your vet!
Leishmaniasis is an insidious infectious disease with flagellated protozoa (unicellular organisms) found predominantly in the Mediterranean region.
Leishmaniasis must be treated quickly so that important organs are not destroyed.
Since the symptoms of leishmaniasis are completely non-specific, the diagnosis is very difficult. It can only be determined with certainty by one specific blood test.
Does your dog come from animal welfare, or have you been on holiday with your four-legged friend in the Mediterranean region?
If you can answer «yes» to both questions and your dog only has one or two of the above symptoms, off to the vet.
Talk to him about your suspicions and get a blood test done.
This is the only way to rule out or confirm whether your dog has leishmaniasis or not.
treatment options
If a leishmaniasis infection is not treated, your four-legged friend will die within the next 12 – 24 months.
Even with treatment, the Leishmania remain in the body of the affected quadruped for life.
Leishmaniasis can therefore break out again, even if it has been treated.
Lifelong blood tests and lifelong therapy are therefore necessary.
effect of the medication
The drugs used inhibit the growth of Leishmania or alleviate the symptoms of the disease.
When it comes to drugs, a distinction is made between leishmanostats, leishmanicides and immunomodulators.
Leishmanic drugs inhibit the growth of leishmania. Leishmanicides kill them. Immunomodulators improve the immune system so that it can fight the invaders more effectively.
Various drugs are often combined in the treatment.
Correctly classifying leishmaniasis in dogs and the associated symptoms is not easy. But with good medication, your four-legged friend can grow old.
Do you have a dog that has contracted leishmaniasis? How do you deal with it? Let us share your experiences in a comment.