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Showing results for tags 'leishmaniasis'.
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Hello there. I hadn't heard of this until our friends took their dog to the Mediterranean. Dogs can catch leishmaniasis by being bitten by an infected sandfly, which seem to be rife from May to September according to one website. The disease causes heartworm, which is often fatal and develops into a long and heartbreaking illness. A company called Virbac have developed a vaccine that can be used instead of the special collars that owners have been using, like Scalibor. According to our vet, it requires a blood test to see if the dog is infected, then a series of 3 vaccinations at weekly intervals. After that, an annual booster is needed. Speaking as a dog owner, I think this development could be a big relief for people whose dogs visit affected areas, which seem to be all around the Mediterranean. I would feel that a vaccine would be more effective than a collar that I believe can be weakened if it gets wet and also runs the risk of polluting any water the dog might swim in. My best, HB
