Clinical, Hematological Findings and Treatment of Canine Leishmaniosis: A Case Report

Canine leishmaniosis is a chronic, severe systemic protozoal disease caused by Leishma- nia spp. Leishmaniosis, transmitted by the bite of an infected phlebotomus or Lutzo- myia sandfly, is a zoonotic disease and dogs are considered the main reservoir for sys- temic leishmaniosis in humans. Leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum is one of the most common diseases of dogs in all countries around the Mediterranean Sea.

The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and hematological alterations in Leishma- nia infantum in an infected dog and to diagnose it by polymerase chain reaction (pCr) and immunofluorescent-antibody test (ifat) in blood serum samples.

A 3 year old mixed breed female dog was referred to the clinic with complaints of weak- ness, weight loss, ocular discharge and common skin lesions. in clinical examination, severe dry exfoliative dermatitis, ulcerations on the pinnae, nasal depigmentation and ulceration, onychogryposis, bilateral periocular alopecia and pale mucous membranes were observed. Bilateral blepharitis and severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) were detected as ocular manifestations. there was generalized lymphadenopathy. Hemato- logical findings were thrombocytopenia, anemia and eosinophilia. needle biopsy was performed from popliteal lymph node and amastigote forms of the parasite were seen with Diff-Quick stain in samples. the diagnosis was confirmed by pCr and ifat per- formed on blood serum samples.

For medical treatment of the disease, domperidone (2 mg/kg, SiD, po) was used for one month and allopurinol (30 mg/kg, SiD, po) was applied for 6 months. in addition to sys- temic treatment, lomefloxacin, acetylcystein, cyclosporin and sodium hyaluronate oph- thalmic solutions were used topically in each eye for treatment of KCS.

Canine leishmaniosis may be difficult to diagnose, hard to treat and its recurrence rates are very high. in this case report, treatment of a dog with leishmaniosis has resulted in disappearance of the clinical signs and there was no recurrence for two years.