It was great to see Thor again. Thor is a Springer Spaniel, full of fun and mischief. Spaniel comes from Spain or Hispania, due to the fact that this breed originated in this country.

There are now about 20 different breeds of spaniels, with the most well-known in Malta being the Cocker Spaniel, American Cocker, King Charles Cavalier, Brittany Spaniel, Papillion and Springer Spaniel, which is very popular in Malta. They make good hunters, family pets and are often used by police and customs officers as sniffer dogs.

True to nature, Thor was an energetic dog. And yet, I only recently got to know the real Thor, since he was a pitiable sight when he first came in three months ago. Thor was one of the worst-affected cases of sandfly I saw last autumn.

I have already written about sandfly but this is the right time of year to remind dog owners about its importance and insidiousness. Sadly, too many dog owners already know quite a bit about this disease – either due to experience or, hopefully, because they are now well-informed and take precautions to prevent it attacking their dogs.

Sandfly or, as it is referred to in its medical term Leishmaniasis, is contracted in the warmer months from infected sandflies. Leishmaniasis is a one-celled blood parasite which mainly infects the blood, bone marrow and other organs.

Symptoms of Leishmaniasis may vary from dog to dog, depending mostly on the type of resistance (or immunity) stimulated by this parasite. Early signs to look out for and which are usually common in all cases are loss of weight and energy.

Besides these primary symptoms, Thor was also suffering from one of the more common signs, which includes a very dry, scaly skin with swelling of the paws and bleeding ear tips.

Since Leishmaniasis is contracted during summer and takes a few months for the disease to develop, veterinarians typically see clinical cases in the autumn and winter. January and February are the months during which it would be ideal to have your dog checked for Leishmaniasis.

Apart from clinical examinations, your veterinarian will carry out a test which gives results within a few minutes. This test has now been available for a number of years. January and February are also when you should discuss with your vet the need to protect your dog from Leishmaniasis for the coming summer months.

This is best done as part of the flea, tick and sandfly protection programme. If you are not aware of this programme, ask your veterinarian about preventive treatment for your dog.

We are living in exciting times. Treatment for Leishmaniasis has seen some developments in recent years. There was a time when there was very little choice for this disease. Now, there are products that are far safer to administer when inner organs have been compromised by the disease.

The original preventive methods are still important, since these address the measures you need to take to reduce and prevent sandfly bites by not letting dogs sleep outdoors from dusk until dawn during the warmer months, and by using veterinary-registered products containing pyrethroids, or derivatives in the form of collars or drops, as well as citronella-based products and UV lights in dogs’ sleeping quarters.

In addition to these formative methods, last year a new vaccine became available which gives your pet a high percentage of protection. Interestingly, the vaccine is essentially a purified protein derived from the culprit parasite. Again, now would be the time to discuss this with your veterinarian to give it enough time to kick in, well in before the infective months.

In the fastest turnaround we’ve seen in the battle against Leishmaniasis, this year another product has become available, which increases the natural resistance of the dog in the most beneficial form.

Leishmaniasis is still a very important disease every dog owner should be aware of. With the help of your vet, this would be a good time to discuss a specific protection programme according to the dog’s breed, location and lifestyle.

There was a time when Leishmaniasis was truly a dreaded disease, largely because it was so widespread and also because there were limited protective measures. It was great to see Thor again, full of boundless energy.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.