If yes I would be interested to hear. We are talking to a rescue about a dog that has this. They are saying it is nothing to worry about, just a daily pill...
It's not that I don't trust them.....
Thanks.
Has anyone here had any experience caring for a dog that has leishmaniosis?
Snoopy,
First, good on ya for considering this doglet!
My experience with Leishmanoisis is limited; Melon was positive, but remained asymptomatic his whole life, he never developed the active disease. In treating his other immune-related conditions, though, we always kept Leish in mind.
Melon was on Allopurinol tablets, but I understand that there are now more effective drugs available.
The key to treating and living with a Leishmanoisis dog is finding a vet who is up to date on the disease. Many years ago positive dogs were automatically PTS due to fears of zoonosis; we now know that those fears are unfounded. The disease is generally manageable and many not only positive but also symptomatic dogs do quite well...but since Swiss vets do not see the disease often some still cling to outdated thinking.
I would recommend speaking with your vet about treatment options befor going further with your decision. If your local vet does not have recent experience with the disease consider a referral to the Tierspital, who see the 'Mittelmeerkrankheiten' with some regularity.
It is generally recommended that a leishmanoisis positive dog not be subjected to undue stress, as stress can exacerbate immune-related conditions. That does not mean keeping the dog wrapped in cotton wool, but it is important when considering adopting a Leish positive dog to even more carefully asses the fit with the family lifestyle. The normal settling into the family period should be managed with the disease and stress in mind.
As Melon remained asymptomatic I don't have experience with living with the full-blown disease, so I will leave others to advise on that.
Is the dog otherwise healthy?
I have colleagues in the UK and DE who have Leish positive dogs who have lived long and happy lives - even with active disease. That is not to say it's a walk in the park, it is a serious lifelong condition, but a knowledgeable and dedicated owner (such as yourself ) should not be put off.
As for cost... I'm back in the US at the moment so I don't have access to my records, but I seem to remember the Allopurinol wasn't expensive. (Bearing in mind that my frame of reference is that all disposable income goes to the dogs ). I don't have any info on the cost of any of the newer drugs, sorry. but this would be another reason for a consultation with your vet or the Tierspital before making your decision.
Whatever you decide, I'll keep my thumbs pressed for this doglet.
Wishing you all, four-footers included, the very best.
I studied the subject quite a bit, as my daughter (yes, my baby daughter, not my dog) got leishmaniasis in Portugal 2 years ago. Luckily it was the cutaneous form, and she now has a scar on the shoulder and nothing more. Internal form is mortal, so I consider myself lucky.
As you probably know, a specific kind of mosquito is necessary to transmit the parasit: between animals, or from an animal to a human being.
According to my vet, once an animal has leishmaniasis, it's systematically lethal. It can't be cured. Death will take a long time, perhaps even years, but there's no remedy. You can prolonge life, but nothing more.
PLEASE people: if you go to an infected area, that is ALL south of Europe and further down, vaccinate your pets and protect yourself against mosquitoes.