LEISHMANIA

Leishmaniasis is a disease unfortunately very present in our city and its surroundings, as well as in many other areas of Italy. Despite being a tropical disease of man, in our latitudes it mainly affects dogs.

Transmission occurs through the sting of a phlebotomist, a small mosquito that is commonly called 'pappatacio' in our area.

When one of these insects pricks the dog (more often on the truffle and in other areas with little hair), before starting to suck the blood, it injects an anticoagulant saliva inside with 'larval' forms of leishmaniasis. The dog will not necessarily get sick immediately. In fact, sometimes several months can pass before the disease begins to manifest.

Two forms of leishmaniasis are generally distinguished: a cutaneous form and a renal form.

In the case of the cutaneous form the symptoms can be multiple: slimming, reduction of the head muscular masses, increase of generalized volume of the lymph nodes, hair thinning (especially on the eyelids and on the back), appearance of rather large flakes, epistaxis (blood from the nose), onychogryphosis (excessive lengthening of the nails), skin sores with little tendency to scarring, cracked truffles. However, these symptoms may also not present together or even be present at all.

The renal form is much more serious, because it causes acute renal failure, generally characterized by sudden increase in thirst, loss of appetite, vomiting, sometimes increase in the amount of urine produced, sometimes, on the contrary, a drastic decrease. Rapid dehydration, hypothermia, and uremic comas are the last stages of this form of leishmaniasis.

In fact, the diagnosis is made only with laboratory tests; generally by means of a blood sample it is possible to diagnose the 'seropositivity' of a dog after it has been stung, even if it is still completely asymptomatic.

Although vaccination is now available (see below), it is always suggested to follow some simple tips to protect your dogs as much as possible:

• let the dog sleep at home or in kennels protected by mosquito nets, since generally the pappataci sting more at night that anything else;
  
• apply specific products on the fur with insect repellent action, in order to reduce the chances of mosquito bites.
• check its blood every six months to see if the dog has been infected.

In the unfortunate case that your friend is 'positive' in this test, it will be useful to take a second blood sample, to assess if the disease has already started to manifest by altering, in a characteristic way, some blood parameters. If so, it will be the doctor who will advise you if and what therapies to perform, in order to effectively treat the affected sufferer. Among other things, it is useful to remember that leishmaniasis is a treatable but difficult to cure disease. Nevertheless, many dogs who test positive manage to lead an almost normal life.

LEISHMANIA VACCINES

The first vaccine for Leishmaniasis was introduced commercially in 2011, continued studies and research in 2018 have resulted in a version of the vaccine, improved in efficacy and with fewer adverse effects.

The vaccination protocol starts at 6 months of age, with a single administration to be recalled annually.

The vaccination can be carried out in all dogs 

- in good health 

- free of intestinal parasites 

- older than 6 months 

- that have tested negative in the screening test for Leishmania.

FILARiA

In Italy, filariasis is a canine disease (very rarely also affects cats) sadly known for several years in Northern Italy and in the coastal areas of Central Italy. Only a few years ago it has also become present in our city and surroundings.

Together with Leishmaniosis, it is the most widespread disease transmitted by mosquitoes to dogs.

When a mosquito stings a sick dog sick with filariasis and sucks its blood, it also sucks some microscopic larvae found in the bloodstream. After a few days, these larvae are transferred into the salivary glands of the mosquito and it is able to infect new 'hosts' that will be stung by this insect. After about 3-6 days the larvae mature in the dog's dermis where they were injected and start to migrate to the heart and lungs through the blood capillaries; there they are transformed further in about 35-40 days and become adults.

The adult parasite is a whitish worm with a round section, thin, but long up to 30 cm, which lurks along with other similar parasites inside the right atrium of the heart, pulmonary veins and vena cava, forming true and proper 'skeins' which can impede normal intracardiac blood flow.

The most classic symptoms are represented by the easy fatigue of the affected subjects, which in severe cases can lead to signs of heart failure such as dyspnea, edema, ascites and cardiac arrhythmias.

PREVENTION

Fortunately, the possibility exists to protect our four-legged friends from this serious disease.

You can choose between injectable prophylaxis or tablet prophylaxis. The injectable product is administered once, at our clinic, and protects for 12 months.

The tablet prophylaxis is administered at home by the owner every month; for this prophylaxis, however, precision in administration by the owner is important.

In the unfortunate event that a dog falls ill with filariasis, there are treatments that can cure it 100 %, but it must be known that these are not without risk: the drugs (injectables) used to kill these heartworms must be preceded by correct anticoagulant therapy and followed by a period of absolute rest of at least one month to avoid that, once dead, portions of the parasites are transported into the bloodstream, leading to thromboembolic phenomena, even lethal ones. 

We therefore strongly recommend prophylaxis.