This disease is caused by a flagellated protozoa that is injected into dogs by Sandflies (phlebotominae). The female of this biting fly feeds on blood that it requires for egg production, however at the same time that it feeds it can infect the host with the protozoa, in a similar way that malaria is spread by mosquitos.
The protozoa can cause devastating damage to a dog, but the
illness is a slow insidious disease that can damage pretty much any organ in
the body, broadly speaking they can be divided into two types, the visceral
type infecting the internal body organs, or the cutaneous one that infects the
skin. This is a bit of a simplification as it can affect any body system and
therefore can sometimes it can be a challenge to diagnose. One common complaint
is that the dog ‘isn’t right’. In some cases the illness is asymptomatic until
the animal becomes suddenly seriously ill , in some of these cases the dog has gone
beyond the point of no return and does not respond to medical therapy.
Confirmation of the disease is done by doing a simple blood
test, generally you can have the results back in under quarter of an hour. Treatment
is very effective as long as the disease is caught early, I would recommend an
annual test , it is quick and cheap and could save you a lot of heartache.
Evidently prevention of leshmaniasis is by far the best
option. This can be done via various ectoparasitic products or vaccination , or
even a combination of both.
However all pets do not require the same level of protection,
the highest level must be for those dogs that are outside in gardens during the
times of highest risk, dusk to dawn.
Those dogs living in flats in highly urbanised areas are at a smaller
risk but there is never any guarantee that a female Sandfly will not sneak in
and infect your family pet, do not become complacent.
On a Public Health side note, this disease can infect humans
too, however it is generally only a risk to those immunosuppressed individuals
and there is no direct contagion from dogs, it has to pass through the Sandfly.
Mark Pizarro BVM&S
MRCVS
