My sister lives in Spain, as I used to, and has a beautiful Giant Schnauzer,
sadly he is suffering with Leishmaniasis which is now becoming more and more common in Spain. For several weeks now I've been researching any possible leads that could slow down the process, I believe at the moment the vet my sister is using is loathe to give more antibiotics as it will increase kidney damage apparently, we've been advised to really try and keep his immune system as strong as possible, plenty of water to flush the kidneys etc.
Someone also advised me to use garlic and also sandalwood oil in low doses to act as an internal antiseptic, as it seems to be causing bladder problems
Hopefully we can keep the poor thing strong enough,
Any information gratefully received.
Many thanks, Mike Garrick
I am afraid what is already being done is as much as can be done. Certainly high or prolonged use of treatments and medications in these cases can end up doing more harm than good and really the dog just has to be kept as healthy as possible to try to fight it, like you said. Feed the dog a good healthy diet and make sure fluid intake and excercise are all at the optimum.
ReplyDeleteHopefully others will have more ideas regarding staying in tip top condition. But before I go I just wanted to say that we are of course discussing what to do after the dog already has Leishmaniasis. There are some preventative measures which aren't 100% successful but can help. If living in affected countries, never walk or take your dog outside at dusk or dawn, as that is when the sandfly is most active. We live in Malta and our dogs wear Scalibur collars all year round (a new one every 6 months). It is not 100% but it is the most we can do to protect them.
Good luck.
Sadly my dog has now also tested positive for Leishmaniasis :-( How is your sister's dog doing? Maybe you now have some tips for me?
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