SOS Italian Setters asks for a £600 donation per dog. This amount covers a portion of the costs incurred by the charity for the dog’s vet bills, documents and transport.

• Canine Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by the Leishmania Infantum protozoan parasite and is transmitted by female Phlebotomine sand flies. Leishmaniasis is endemic in Southern Europe, with an estimated 60% of dogs infected. Only about 5% – 10% of infected dogs, however, will ever develop symptoms or clinical/active Leishmaniasis – sometimes called “Leish”, for short in the UK.
• Dogs from endemic countries (whether they have tested positive for Leish or not) can develop active disease many years after arriving in the UK. There is no specific trigger for this, but it is believed that physical or mental stress and a weakening of a dog’s immune system can be contributing factors.
• Leish is an indirect zoonotic disease, it requires a vector (the sand fly) to spread from host to host. There is as yet no evidence that the vector insect is present in the UK, so it is important to emphasise that there is therefore no evidence that a dog with Leishmaniasis could infect another dog that has not been exposed to the parasite. For those involved with all dogs coming from Southern Europe it is essential to be aware of this disease and how it is transmitted.
• If your dog is negative when he/she arrives, it is important to know the signs to look for:
  • slowly developing lesions on ears, nose and hind legs, if the dog is (unreasonably) thirsty, lethargic, shows signs of lameness, has epistaxis (bleeding from the nose), or fever. All these – and many more – could be signs of Leishmaniasis.
• Please refer to the full list of symptoms published here https://www.leishvet.org/fact-sheet/ clinical-manifestations/. The wide range of different clinical signs can make Leishmaniasis difficult to diagnose to someone unfamiliar with the disease. That’s why the adopters’ role can be critical, which is why we believe it is vital to create awareness among our adopters.
• The earlier Leish is diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis is for the dog. Successfully treated a dog can often live out his/her normal life span.
• If your dog is positive, it is important to: 
  • Find a vet who is open and willing to work with your dog and with you
  • Know the medications the dog should be on, and the different options available
  • Find out more about their diet (they do not need a prescription diet unless they have kidney or liver problems or, when taking Allopurinol, they need to follow a low purine diet)
  • Make sure the dog is tested regularly: you need to ask your vet for a six-month check which must include: haematology, biochemistry, electrophoresis and “Leish titre”. Ask for a quote first! Prices can vary enormously from one vet to another.
• To know more about Leishmaniasis please visit https://www.leishvet.org/ and the Living with Leish group on Facebook. Since Leishmaniasis is still comparatively rare in the UK experience with the disease can be patchy, so your vet may be interested too in these two resources.