The disease is treatable with injections or an oral medicine combined with tablets, but unfortunately not curable. The Leishmania hides away in the bone marrow and will return to the bloodstream when the immune system fails.
Prevention is the most important defense against this disease. It is MOST important that your dog is not at risk of being bitten by the “sand fly”, which behaves as a mosquito. They are most active at dawn and dusk and early night, they do not only live in the sand! They live in bushes and need water to multiply.
Protect your dog with a collar, spot-on or spray that repels the “sand fly”. Improve your dog’s immune system with a balanced diet and proper grooming and parasite control. Leishguard is a product to be given every 3 months to boost the immune response against the Leishmania. Vaccinations are available in which the dog has 3 vaccinations with a 3 week interval in the first year to give an 80% protection; yearly revaccination will improve the protection every year.