Does my French Bulldog's leishmaniasis require immediate treatment?

A diagnosis of Leishmaniosis is not automatically death sentence as this disease can be treated and eventually cured or at least its progression can be slowed down. This would require a staging of the disease first before being able to give you a reliable prognosis. Please have a look at this article (especially under clinical staging, treatment and prognosis section): https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-3305-4-86 Do not hesitate to ask more if needed either through the forum or by requesting a consultation.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. So sorry that Gigi is having this issue. The lesion on her nose could sure be due to Leishmania which is prevalent in the Middle East however, it could be due to other causes. Was any testing done to confirm the leishmania? Cytology, biopsy, histopathology, serology? There is no cure for Leishmania however, treatment can often keep the disease at bay. Treatment is lifelong is most cases. If organ failure/involvement is already present then the likelihood the of the medications working is minimal. Also, treatment is often expensive and cost prohibitive for many people. The prognosis overall is not great. Here is a link to an article about this disease: ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/leishmaniasis-in-dogs ) If your cousin wants to seek treatment her vet will need to source the medications for her. They are not medications we use frequently, at least not here in the U.S. as we rarely see this disease. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello, and thank you for your question and photos. This looks like a severe skin infection that will require treatment with antibiotics and/or antifungals. There may be also an underlying abnormality such as a mass, allergies, or parasites as you suggested. I would definitely recommend getting him seen at the vet as soon as possible, especially since he is lethargic and not eating. In the meantime, it is important that he does not scratch. You can also try applying a weak solution of betadine + water (1:10) or chlorhexidine solution as an antiseptic until you can get to the vet. I hope this helps, and that Tank is feeling better soon!

That spot on Louie could be several things including an injury, skin mites, flea bites, ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesion with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash his whole body, just the spot). Protect the area from licking or scratching. If it doesn't start looking better within about a week or if it gets worse, have him examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would disagree with that treatment plan. While it may be a staph infection, it is severe enough that it will require further investigation to check the type of infection and further local treatment with clipping and cleaning and oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. If there is scratching or licking involved, there are medications that could help with that and an e-collar could also be beneficial to prevent further self-trauma if that is the case. I recommend visiting a veterinarian for further asssessmenr and treatment. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she tests negative for mange, I would be suspicious that this may be due to skin allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Legally, we are unable to recommend this in the absence of a patient-veterinarian-client relationship and physical exam. You should contact your veterinarian. If your vet gives the okay, treat all your pets for at least 3 consecutive months, preferably year round. Your vet can dispense Capstar which will rapidly kill any adult fleas on your pets to get a jump on treatment. You will also need to treat the environment. This will include vacuuming everywhere the dogs have been, washing all bedding and using an area treatment, such as Knockout ES, to prevent reinfestation.