Leish and progress in UK

[tjtops]

Does anyone know of any Leish-infected dogs that came back to the UK? I'd really like to know how they got on...whether the disease went into remission, how long they continued treatment for etc......(6 months -- no Spanish summer -- down the line, my 3 are all looking fine; two have never had symptons and the one who did, is looking really well)....

[knowal]

They won't get better just because they are in the UK. The protozoan infection is in their blood and they don't care whether it is cold or not, as they are kept at 38°C in the dog's body.

[katy]

A British woman in Spain caught the disease. Didn't realise humans could catch it!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... Spain.html

[lizzie.w.]

sorry to seem ignorant but as i have three campo dogs , what is Leisha and what are the symptons and is it serious .thank you.

[Enrique]

Hi lizzie.w.,
First don't panic.......it may not be in your area. check with your vet.
Advantix..........does sandfly as well as the other bugs.
Keep your dogs in from dusk to dawn......I have two that sleep outside but we're in a low risk area.

Reading the report the unfortunate lady had a compromised immune system.

[knowal]

sorry to seem ignorant but as i have three campo dogs , what is Leisha and what are the symptons and is it serious .thank you.

Leishmaniasis is the proper name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leishmaniasis
It takes several forms, with multiple symptoms in dogs and is fatal if untreated.

[tjtops]

Sorry about the delay in responding...my account got 'de-activated' for some reason!!
Yes, White Horse....I know what you're saying, but as my Spanish vet pointed out before I left, they wouldn't get re-infected here (UK) as they did in Spain...(every flipping year, the count would be down in March and up again in September...DESPITE ongoing treatment AND Scalibur collars!!) she seemed to think that another 6 -- 12 months of treatment here might JUST eradicate it......hence me asking if anyone knew of any case histories???

[Anntonio]

I lost one of my cockers to this terrible disease a few years back. I researched a bit and IIRC there are 12,000,000 people infected in 80 different countries! Also IIRC Ben Fogle got it.

[tjtops]

At least there is a vaccine now.....4 years too late for my babies sadly.....

[knowal]

At least there is a vaccine now...

That is very good news. Where did you hear about this?
The last info I had (albeit 2010) says no vaccine is available.

[tjtops]

Yes...look on the various websites...(google leishmania in canines)...I can't remember exactly where I saw it now, but there is definitely a vaccine against it available in Spain/Portugal..only from this year tho.....

[annfoto]

There is no vaccine to prevent leishmaniosis but there is a vaccination program to prevent the symptoms getting worse and prolonging the dog's life - if they survive the vaccination programme.
It usually consists of an injection every 2 days for 2 weeks followed by a rest of 1 week then a further 2 weeks of injections. It puts a strain on the dog's liver and kidneys, sadly I lost my 12 year old terrier last month after the first week of the process with kidney failure.
I lost another dog 6 years ago to this horrible disease despite taking every precaution. Both dogs were rescue dogs and almost certainly got infected before I knew them.

[tjtops]

Honestly..I would be the very last person to raise false hopes but this is one link...I've seen it elsewhere as well.....apparently there IS a vaccine now....whether it is 100 per cent of course is anyone's guess.

http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp? ... abled=true

I don't know if you're referring to the injection protocol for TREATMENT of Leish (which at my vets was intravenous injections of Glucantime (bought MUCH more cheaply in the 'human' form from the farmacia then taken to the vets for them to inject -- their suggestion!!) 3 a week for 7 weeks, then 2 a week for 4 weeks, 1 a week for 2 weeks, then 1 a fortnight for a month then one a month thereafter........this coupled with 15 days on/15 days off allopurinol tablets......

All mine have been through that and it DID work in getting the levels way down..

Or a newer treatment is Miltefosan (a liquid) but is more expensive and only treats certain forms of the disease...
Sadly, Leish is endemic in southern Spain and particularly Andalucia...there is far more chance of a dog having it than not, and despite all our efforts to protect them, they are likely to be re-infected every summer......it's heartbreaking.

[knowal]

Excellent link tjtops!
CaniLeish is approved, as you say by the EU sine MArch/April this year.
More info here:
http://www.euroinvestor.co.uk/news/stor ... d=11663783
I've been searching VIRBAC and other websites for the cost.
It costs about €80 just for a leishmania blood test, which will be necessary before vaccinating, according to the article you linked to.

Can't find the price of these anywhere.

[knowal]

Further investigation puts the price of injections at around €40 each, 3 required the first year, (€120), then another annually thereafter.

[alpumar]

Some misinformation in this thread. Some corrections.

1> There is currently no vaccination currently available although it seems likely that something will become available in the next few years. Any vaccination will not cure infected dogs.

2> The Milteforan oral treatment is only expensive in comparison to the alternative Glucantime injection course if your dog is large as the drug is prescribed by bodyweight. In most cases if you are unwilling or unable to complete the glucantime intramuscular injections yourself at home, and have to pay your vet for repeated consultations it is likely that the glucantime course will actually end up more expensive.

3> It is probable that one of the significant factors causing infected dogs to relapse is repeated additional infected sandly bites. Anecdotal evidence ( including from Virbac the manufacturers of Milteforan ) suggests that returning to the UK will probably significantly extend the life of a leish infected dog as there is no chance of such bites occuring. Charities sending leish infected dogs back to the UK report that the disease is rarely a recurring problem.

My own dog who nearly died of this nasty disease has been back in the UK for 9 months with no further complications following his last Milteforan course. He has just received a negative lab test result for leish, although this is a reflection of the low levels of the parasite he is carrying, not that he has been "cured".

Alpumar

[tjtops]

Thank you for that...and sorry about the typo...I meant Milteforan...came out with a 's' instead!!
Ref the dogs in UK scenario...that was what I was asking in my original post.....because that was what my (excellent Spanish) vets said, that at least the dogs wouldn't keep getting reinfected in the UK. It is very very disappointing when in Spain you keep on treating them, and the count goes down each winter, only to go up every summer (4 years now), despite all the precautions (Scalibor collars etc) as well......
I just really want to try and find out how long (and to what intensity) I should carry on with the Glucantime/allopurinol protocol over here....(UK).... I have Spanish blood tests on the way over to me (hopefully!) which I will get my vets here to carry out and then hopefully, at least I'll have a bit more idea of how far they've come so far...

[tjtops]

Just as an update for people who might be in the same situation (bringing Leish infected dogs back to UK).
Bad news -- my little one who had it the worst (count of 3.49 last April before leaving Spain) was tested a couple of weeks ago -- and what a bureaucratic nightmare THAT was!! -- by the same Spanish vet, in order to ensure continuity of results. She was the highest she's been in the two years I've had her......4.76. (on the scale of 1 -- 6). Needless to say I was gutted, especially since I'd followed the Glucantime injections/allopurinol regime and obviously she hasn't been re-infected while here.
After yet another bureaucratic nightmare, my vet managed to get some Milteforan (since glucantime obviously wasn't doing the trick) direct from Virbac, because my Spanish vet isn't allowed to just send some over. Apparently it is illegal to use a drug which isn't licensed for the purpose here, without a Special Import Certificate. This worked out horrendously expensive, especially since Virbac sent twice as much aas I needed, claiming that this was the smallest size bottle they could export! (Worked out at £200 just for the drug!....)
Interestingly -- and also sadly -- the other two had risen slightly too, but less cause for concern since they are only around the 1 -- 1.2 mark.
So it doesn't follow that they will go into remission when out of the infective area....and how I wish the vaccine had been available back in the day.....

[tjtops]

PS....does anyone know if Dermaflon (the liquid, widely used by Spanish vets) could be used on areas which are either Leish sores or eczema? Or would hibiscrub be better? I don't want to inflame it and make it itch even more, and even the vet isn't clear what it is!! (is the same poor little Leish dog, who is developing random patches which begin with just one small raised spot under the skin.....)

[oliveview01]

I picked up a leaflet at a vets in Antequera (Leon) last week saying injections were now available, unfortunately my husband threw the leaflet away. How can I check to see if we live in an area that has the problem?