A short piece by Heather Brooker, a sponsor and supporter
It's so upsetting seeing dogs with leishmaniasis being overlooked. These poor dogs have been through so much in their lives and deserve the chance of a secure loving home, but unfortunately, due to the life they have endured they are now overlooked because they have had the misfortune to have contracted leish'. Its understandable why most people would want a 'healthy' dog. Although, even healthy dogs can become dogs with 'conditions' - breathing problems, hip dysplasia, diabetes, epilepsy, arthritis, cancer etc etc.
In amongst the myths and scaremongering, here are some of the more positive facts and quotes:
'Leishmaniasis is a controllable disease that affects some Mediterranean dogs, it is transmitted by the sandfly mosquito'
'Most dogs that test positive are treated and live long and happy lives with no symptoms at all once they have moved to the UK'
'Many dogs receiving treatment will live happily until they are old, just by being treated with Allopurinol (human gout tablets that can be purchased over the counter at the chemist), Prevention in the form of an annual test for leishmaniasis'.
Leish' cannot be passed on, either to human or dog. It is caught by being bitten by a sandfly - we do not have sandflies in this country, so therefore there is no threat.
'Infection does not invariably lead to illness. In fact, most infected dogs remain asymptomatic and may never develop clinical manifestations'.
Stress is a big factor with Leishmaniasis, so once a dog is in a secure home, the likelihood is that the levels will drop. The following is taken from a Spanish rescue page:
'We work with rescuers in Spain, who have over 20 years experience of helping dogs, working hand in hand with vets to gain an understanding of Leishmaniasis. They have learnt that the one significant contributing factor which stands out above all others is STRESS. A dog who has been living under the stress of abandonment, cruelty, parasitic infestation, near starvation, giving birth every 6 months in the street etc. will most certainly test positive. But once that same dog is in a safe and secure environment, free from stress and treated for parasites, the drop in the leish' count can be dramatic. They also site examples where dogs have become negative. So in many cases, remove the stress, take the dog out of “Sandfly” country – problem solved!'
http://www.dogwatchuk.com/spanish-dogs-and-leishmaniasis/
Insurance, however can be problematic, although many people find that, with the rising cost of insurance premiums and the excesses, it is often more cost effective not to insure their dogs anyway and instead put money aside.
Most vets in the UK have little or no knowledge, although there are an increasing number who. now do. It is therefore very important that you contact Give a Dog a Home before taking any dog with this condition to a vet.
It is a fact that there are now more people in this country on medication than not, it seems sad that we still have misgivings about adopting a dog that needs medication.
Of course there are no guarantees with any dog, but as you can see, apart from a daily inexpensive tablet or two, dogs with Leishmaniasis can live as long a life as any other dog.
In amongst the myths and scaremongering, here are some of the more positive facts and quotes:
'Leishmaniasis is a controllable disease that affects some Mediterranean dogs, it is transmitted by the sandfly mosquito'
'Most dogs that test positive are treated and live long and happy lives with no symptoms at all once they have moved to the UK'
'Many dogs receiving treatment will live happily until they are old, just by being treated with Allopurinol (human gout tablets that can be purchased over the counter at the chemist), Prevention in the form of an annual test for leishmaniasis'.
Leish' cannot be passed on, either to human or dog. It is caught by being bitten by a sandfly - we do not have sandflies in this country, so therefore there is no threat.
'Infection does not invariably lead to illness. In fact, most infected dogs remain asymptomatic and may never develop clinical manifestations'.
Stress is a big factor with Leishmaniasis, so once a dog is in a secure home, the likelihood is that the levels will drop. The following is taken from a Spanish rescue page:
'We work with rescuers in Spain, who have over 20 years experience of helping dogs, working hand in hand with vets to gain an understanding of Leishmaniasis. They have learnt that the one significant contributing factor which stands out above all others is STRESS. A dog who has been living under the stress of abandonment, cruelty, parasitic infestation, near starvation, giving birth every 6 months in the street etc. will most certainly test positive. But once that same dog is in a safe and secure environment, free from stress and treated for parasites, the drop in the leish' count can be dramatic. They also site examples where dogs have become negative. So in many cases, remove the stress, take the dog out of “Sandfly” country – problem solved!'
http://www.dogwatchuk.com/spanish-dogs-and-leishmaniasis/
Insurance, however can be problematic, although many people find that, with the rising cost of insurance premiums and the excesses, it is often more cost effective not to insure their dogs anyway and instead put money aside.
Most vets in the UK have little or no knowledge, although there are an increasing number who. now do. It is therefore very important that you contact Give a Dog a Home before taking any dog with this condition to a vet.
It is a fact that there are now more people in this country on medication than not, it seems sad that we still have misgivings about adopting a dog that needs medication.
Of course there are no guarantees with any dog, but as you can see, apart from a daily inexpensive tablet or two, dogs with Leishmaniasis can live as long a life as any other dog.