Canine leishmania

Cutaneous signs of leishmania, phto by
Merck Veterinary Manual

CLINICAL SIGNS AND PRESENTATIONS

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of Leishmania spp, transmitted to humans and animals by vectors. Canines are susceptible to acquire a visceral (L. infantum) and cutaneous form (L. panamensis, L. braziliensis). Some dogs or some breeds seem to be more resistant to the development of the disease.

It is endemic in several countries in the Mediterranean countries, where dogs are the main reservoir for Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of the visceral form in humans.

The disease is transmitted to mammals through female sand fly bites naturally infected, Phlebotomus, in Europe, Asia and Africa. In domestic environment felines, equines, bovines, birds, rabbits, and rodents are also susceptible. Epidemiologically and clinically, the importance lies in the canine as main reservoir.

To vaccine or not to vaccine?/¿Vacunar, o no vacunar?

Let's cover this complex subject by answering to these basic questions: what, how, why, which, when an where to vaccine.

WHAT IS A VACCINE?

It is a preparation aimed to improve our immunity against a disease. It contains the whole agent, or part of it, that provokes the disease we want to get immuned.

Image: www.immense-immunology-insight.blogspot.co.uk

HOW DOES IT WORK?

You may wonder if we vets are mad because we inject the same virus or bacteria that will make our pet sick, and why they don't develope the disease. The trick is injecting this agent once it is dead (killed vaccines) or badly wounded (attenuated vaccines).

Core vaccines in dogs/vacunas recomendadas en perros

During my career I have found out that most of my clients have no clue of what vets are vaccinating their dogs against. Clients take for granted dogs must have their booster once a year, that's all. On this post I will sum up the diseases vaccines contains, their inmunity length, and the importance of each one.
Durante mi carrera he encontrado que la mayoría de los clientes no tienen idea de lo que los veterinarios vacunamos a sus perros. Dan por hecho que deben tener revacunas anuales, y eso es todo. En esta entrada resumiré las enfermedades que contienen las vacunas, la duración de su inmunidad, y la importancia de cada una.

CORE VACCINES

Core vaccines in cats/vacunas esenciales en gatos

If I complain that most of clients have no clue of what vets are vaccinating their dogs against, I am stunned by the astonishing low amount of cats being vaccinated, as if they did not need it. Clients are even perplexed that there do exist vaccines against cats!
In contrast to canine vaccines, which inmunity can last up to 3 years, feline vaccines are not always so reliable.

Si me quejo de que los clientes no tienen idea de qué se les vacuna a sus perros, me quedo estupefacta con los escasísimos gatos que se vacunan, como si no lo necesitaran. ¡Hay quien hasta se extraña de que existan vacunas para gatos!
A diferencia de las vacunas caninas, que suelen dar una inmunidad de 3 años, las vacunas felinas no siempre son tan fiables.

CORE VACCINES
Core vaccines in cats are those aimed to protect them against the infections he/she is at risk. Therefore, they depend on their way of life: in-outdoors,
countryside, city, travelling abroad, endemic diseases... They are shot in kittens of 8 to 12 weeks old, before being exposed to other cats. Some veterinarians are concern that yearly boosters may be harmful, even more now that manufacturers are developing vaccines that remain active for as long as 3 years, requiring less frequent boosters.

• Rabies: it is a zoonotic desease, that is, humans can be infected from an animal. Up to now, 99% of human cases of rabies comes from pets. Most of Europe is free from rabies, having few endemic zones in East Europe. Countries like UK

Shall I vaccine my puppy?/ ¿Vacuno a mi cachorro?

Yes. Although there is no official statistics, over 90% of puppies deaths are due to parvovirosis. You may have heard that the vaccines don't work, or even that they kill the dog. None of them are true, but the first statement is not completely wrong. Why would the parvovirus vaccine not work? Because the puppy does not make antibodies against it.

Sí. Aunque no hay estadísticas oficiales más del 90% de los cachorros que mueren lo hacen de parvovirosis. Quizá ha oído que las vacunas no funcionan o incluso matan a los perros. No es cierto, aunque la primera afirmación no es totalmente falsa. ¿Porqué no funciona la vacuna de la parvovirosis? Porque el cachorro no crea anticuerpos frente a ella.

Newborn puppy's inmune system (IS) has a very poor response, getting stronger as they grow and reaching its full development at 4-6 months old. Fortunately, the colostrum they take will contain

Feline immunodeficiency/Inmunodeficiencia felina

Also known as cat's AIDS, this is one of the most spread ilnesses in cats. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine to prevent it.

The main question onwers whose cats are serum positive use to ask me is What should I do? Shall I put him to sleep? How can I care for him now?. Well, my advise depends on the case. As you may guess, there is no treatment to feline AIDS, but:

También conocido como el SIDA felino, ésta es una de las más extendidas enfermedades en gatos. Por desgracia, no hay vacuna preventiva.

Leishmune, vacuna contra la "enfermedad del mosquito"

Años llevo oyendo rumores de una vacuna frenta a la leishmania o mal llamada "enfermedad del mosquito" (recordemos que el "gusano del corazón" también se transmite por el mosquito). Incluso podemos encontrar información acerca de esta vacuna que, bajo el nombre de Leishmune la produce Fort Dodge. Lo cierto es que no encontramos esta vacuna en el mercado, Fort Dodge fué comprada por Pfizer, y la única medida frente a esta enfermedad es la prevención con repelentes de mosquitos (scalibor, advantix y parece que algunas piretrinas funcionan igualmente)

For years I have been hearing of a vaccine against leishmania, the 'mosquito illness' (although the heartworm is passed through a mosquito too). Even information of that vaccine is found as, Leishmune, made by Fort Dodge. The truth is that they are not in the market, Fort Dodge was taken over by Pfizer, and the only you can do is preventing it with mosquito repellents (scalibor, advantix and some piretrines)