Health
A bare ring round the eyes, nails that grow too fast, a dog adopted from southern Europe. Leishmaniasis can be kept under control and, above all, largely prevented.
Caution. A nosebleed that won't stop, a dog off his food and drinking far more, weakness with pale gums, a red and painful eye, or a dog on treatment who vomits and goes flat: see your own vet today.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
You took him on a year ago from a rescue in Crete. For the last few months he has had a ring of bare skin round each eye, "spectacles", your vet calls them. Or you spent a fortnight on a Croatian island with your dog last summer, and now his nails seem to grow far too fast and he has dropped weight. Or you saw "leish positive" on a rescue listing and wondered whether that means a death sentence. It doesn't. Leishmaniasis is a long-haul disease. It is rarely cured outright, but it can be kept under control and, for the most part, prevented. Below are the signs you can spot yourself and the questions worth asking at the practice. Treatment is your own vet's call and nobody else's.
The disease is caused by a microscopic parasite called Leishmania. Sand flies carry it: tiny insects two or three millimetres long, smaller than mosquitoes, that bite in the evening and at night during the warm months. After the bite the parasite multiplies inside the dog for months, sometimes years, before anything shows, which is why most signs creep up slowly.
A few of them can't wait. Ring the same day if you see:
Vets sometimes call it "the great imitator" because it can look like so many other conditions. You won't diagnose it from the sofa. What you can do is walk into the consulting room with the full travel history and a list of what you have seen with your own eyes.
This is the first question, and you bring it up even if nobody asks. The Mediterranean countries (Spain, Portugal, southern France, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey) have had leishmaniasis for a long time. Sand flies are moving north as summers get warmer. In Romania, cases have been described in dogs that never left the country, mostly in the south. Even so, most dogs with leishmaniasis seen in practices there were adopted from southern Europe or taken on holiday to it. Write down the country, the months (summer matters most) and whether he slept outdoors.
Skin is the commonest sign. It flakes with dry white scale, like dandruff, mostly on the head and ears. Hair thins around the eyes. Sores that never quite heal turn up on the ear tips, the muzzle and the elbows, the places he leans and lies on. It usually isn't very itchy, which helps tell it apart from allergies and mange.
Nails grow much faster and longer than they should, sometimes curling over. Few owners connect that with illness, yet it is a fairly specific sign.
He loses weight, especially over the head and thighs, even though he is eating. Feel for lymph nodes under the jaw, in front of the shoulders and behind the knees; anything the size of a hazelnut or bigger goes on the list. Note small nosebleeds too, red eyes or a stiff way of moving.
Measure his drinking. For two days, fill the bowl with a known amount and check what is left. Drinking a lot more can be the first hint that the kidneys are struggling.
Ask the rescue for the results in writing: which test, what value, when it was done, and whether kidney bloods were run. Ask what treatment he has had and over what period. A positive dog with no signs and good kidneys is a very different case from one losing protein in his urine. Take the paperwork to your own vet before you sign anything. Fifteen minutes of conversation will tell you how often you are likely to be back for checks.
| What you see | Leishmaniasis | Other common causes |
|---|---|---|
| Flaky skin, not itchy | Yes | Seborrhoea, underactive thyroid, fungal infection |
| Hair loss around the eyes | Yes | Demodectic mange, allergies |
| Overlong, misshapen nails | Yes, fairly specific | Not enough walking on hard ground |
| Nosebleed | Yes | Foreign body, tumours, clotting problems, other tick-borne diseases |
| Drinking a lot, losing weight | Yes, through the kidneys | Diabetes, Cushing's, other kidney disease |
Before you leave the practice, ask four things: what stage he is at, how badly his kidneys are affected, when the tests will be repeated and which signs should bring you back sooner.
If you are adopting from a Mediterranean country, ask for a leishmaniasis test (and tests for the other insect- and tick-borne diseases) before the dog travels. Then repeat it a few months after he arrives. A negative test done too soon after a bite may simply not show anything yet.
Sand flies are weak fliers and don't travel far. They are out from dusk to dawn, from May to October in warm regions. You keep them off with a product that repels them, either a collar or a spot-on. Be careful here: plenty of flea and tick products do nothing against sand flies. Ask your vet for one with proven effect on them, and put it on well before you leave so it has time to start working. In the evening the dog comes indoors and stays in until morning, with fine mesh on the windows and a fan running in the room. Some countries also have a vaccine; ask your vet whether it makes sense for your dog.
Heading south for the summer, to the coast or to a trial, put the collar on your packing list next to the harness and the long line. It goes on as many days before departure as the leaflet says, and the dog sleeps indoors for the whole trip. Two small jobs a year, against a disease that stays with him for life once it gets in.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
Through the bite of sand flies, tiny insects that fly from dusk to dawn in the warm months, mainly around the Mediterranean. Less often it passes from mother to puppies or through blood transfusions. Dogs don't give it to each other through play or contact. Prevention therefore means stopping the bites: a sand fly repellent product and the dog indoors in the evening.
Yes. Cases have been described in dogs that never left countries further north and east, and sand flies are spreading as summers warm up. Still, most cases seen in practices outside the Mediterranean are dogs adopted from Greece, Spain or Italy, or taken there on holiday. Always tell your vet where your dog has been, however long ago.
Many can. Dogs picked up early, with healthy kidneys, usually respond well to treatment and live for years, with regular check-up tests. The outlook depends mostly on the kidneys and on the stage. A positive dog isn't a death sentence, but he is a commitment: long treatment, lifelong check-ups and protection from sand flies.
Not through touch, play or licking. In people, too, it is spread by sand fly bites. Where sand flies live, an untreated sick dog can infect the insects, and they can go on to bite people. Treating your dog and protecting him from bites protects your family as well.
With a sand fly repellent chosen with your vet and put on in good time before you leave. The dog sleeps indoors from sunset until morning, with mesh on the windows and a fan going. Skip evening walks near woods, ruins and stables. Some countries also have a vaccine; ask your vet whether it makes sense for you.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
A hard bead with legs on his neck after the woods, or black specks on the sofa that turn red when wet. Both can be sorted out, and neither with oil or garlic.
He drinks more, wees more and slowly loses weight. Chronic kidney disease shows late, acute failure is an emergency measured in hours. Tests reveal both.
Ten days ago he was in long grass. Today he will not get up or eat, and his urine is the colour of strong tea. Babesiosis does not wait for morning, and neither should you.
Tufts on the sofa are one thing. Round patches, bald flanks or a dog scratching himself raw are something else. Here is how to tell them apart.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.