# Leishmania Vaccine



## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi guys,

Just thought I would let you know there is a new vaccine being introduced against Leishmania. Whilst it isn't 100% effective, my vet says it is probably around 80-85% combined with the Scalibor Collars etc it should protect your dog from this dreaded disease better than the collars alone.

The vaccination consists of 3 vaccines taken at regular intervals, the cost is 50 euros per vaccine (that is what my vet is charging don't know if yours will be cheaper or dearer). However, once the first years vaccines have been given you need only have an annual booster of one vaccine. (If you consider the treatment for Leish costs on average 200-250 a time it works out pretty good value).

Your dog must be Leish free in order to have this vaccine, a test will have to be done prior to the vaccination programme but in the case of my vet he is offering a refund of the cost of said test when you take up the vaccination. 

Anything has to be better than living with no protection and belt and braces protection has got to be a winner in my opinion.


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

Whilst I agree with you, my own vet says she is not yet convinced. She says she has seen lots of vaccines try to be launched and are not really very effective. She showed me the article in one of her vets journals a fortnight ago and said she was sceptical also because there was no real data in the article, only that it was this that and the other and would come in Jan sometime.

So I guess we will see. Thing is, if it is not as effective as one would like, then you are just pumping more chemical into your dog that may well not work  It's a toughie. Mine all wear scalibor collars and I also add garlic to their food, having had them tested it's so far so good......:juggle:


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Thanks for the info, both of you!


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

donz said:


> Whilst I agree with you, my own vet says she is not yet convinced. She says she has seen lots of vaccines try to be launched and are not really very effective. She showed me the article in one of her vets journals a fortnight ago and said she was sceptical also because there was no real data in the article, only that it was this that and the other and would come in Jan sometime.
> 
> So I guess we will see. Thing is, if it is not as effective as one would like, then you are just pumping more chemical into your dog that may well not work  It's a toughie. Mine all wear scalibor collars and I also add garlic to their food, having had them tested it's so far so good......:juggle:


I appreciate what your vet is saying, indeed my vet has said it isn't 100% effective and that she recommends that we continue to use the Scalibor collars however, to my mind it is a case of belt and braces and we all know ones trousers rarely fall down when held up in such a fashion.

With regards the Garlic in the dogs food, did you know it is poisonous to dogs? It is from the onion family (which are also poisonous) so with this in mind I don't give it to my dogs. (I believe it affects their liver but I am sure if I am incorrect someone who actually knows will be able to put me right).


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

Hi Jo

Garlic is really quite safe. 

Even in the case of onions, a dog weighing 55lbs would need to eat between three quarters and a pound and a half of onions at one go to be poisoned. Garlic does contain the same chemical, but much less of it, and is probably less than half as toxic – so our same dog would need to eat two or three pounds of garlic to be poisoned.

So small amounts of garlic are fine – but as the toxic effect can to some extent accumulate with repeated doses, it is usually recommended having a break from continuous dosing now and then – so one week on, one week off is fine, or two weeks on, one week off would also be perfectly acceptable.

Garlic is such a health giving supplement – its anti infective, helps clears respiratory congestion, can strengthen the circulation, boosts the immune system, and helps keep parasites away


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

donz said:


> Hi Jo
> 
> Garlic is really quite safe.
> 
> ...




Thats exactly what I did with my horses.. garlic everyday for two weeks and then a week on the recommendation of my vet.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Strangely I chatted to the vet about this the other day an she was not totally convinced about the current effectiveness of the vaccine.
Having boxers the sandfly is a concern because of their short coats. She suggested instead using ADVANTIX very two weeks during the height of the sandfly season (late spring to end september)

Lots of info here The Canine Leishmaniasis web site


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

siobhanwf said:


> Strangely I chatted to the vet about this the other day an she was not totally convinced about the current effectiveness of the vaccine.
> Having boxers the sandfly is a concern because of their short coats. She suggested instead using ADVANTIX very two weeks during the height of the sandfly season (late spring to end september)
> 
> Lots of info here The Canine Leishmaniasis web site


Thanks.

And here from a vet in Madrid about a conference about the vaccine
http://vidavet.es/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=739%3Avacuna-leishmania--ultimas-noticias&catid=20%3Anoticias&Itemid=178〈=es

And this which I think is advertising, but is easy to read
European Medicines Agency - Find medicine - CaniLeish


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Just thought I would comment on this one. I spoke to my vet about it, and he seems to think quite highly of it although he said that obviously its new so at the moment we can only go from what the menufacturers say.

He said that its absolutely imperative to do the blood test first to ensure they dont already have it otherwise the jabs could cause problems... my vet said he charges 120 euros for the blood test and 3 jabs and then the booster is 45.

He also said that the booster should not be done at the same time as other boosters!

Anyway, thats the info I have! Problem is I have 3 dogs so its going to be expensive... but I am seriously considering it!


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## casa99 (Oct 19, 2010)

My partners daughter is a qualified vet nurse in the u.k. and her boss has said the same thing i.e. he doesn`t think it is 100% effective as yet, b.t.w. garlic is not part of the onion family, it is part of the lily family.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

casa99 said:


> My partners daughter is a qualified vet nurse in the u.k. and her boss has said the same thing i.e. he doesn`t think it is 100% effective as yet, b.t.w. garlic is not part of the onion family, it is part of the lily family.



Hate to tell you but the humble onion is also part of the lily family 

Garlic for Dogs | Is Garlic Safe for Dogs?

_Garlic has long been used as a safe medicinal plant in holistic medicine for people and pets as well. However, recently, the safety of garlic on dogs (and cats) has come under close scrutiny due to its properties as a member of the Allium genus, a branch of the lily family, along with onions and shallots.
A compound found in onions (and in lesser amount in garlic) called n-propyldisulfide can, in large doses, cause oxidative damage to red blood cells, creating Heinz bodies and triggering the body to reject these cells from the bloodstream. If large doses of this compound are ingested on a regular basis, the process can lead to Heinz-body anemia and even death.
Does that mean garlic is unsafe for dogs? Not quite. The key to safe use of garlic on dogs is the dosage level and frequency of use. For a dog to develop Heinz-body anemia, he would have to eat over 0.5% of his body weight in onions to even begin the oxidative process. It means a healthy 60-pound dog would have to eat a whole 5-oz onion, or several cloves of garlic, to start the Heinz-body process. Since red blood cells are constantly regenerated from the bone marrow, a dog would likely need to ingest this much amount of onion or garlic on a repeated basis to cause permanent harm.
However, garlic should NOT be fed to pets with a pre-existing anemic condition or to those scheduled for surgery. Also, young puppies before six to eight weeks of age should NOT be given garlic because they do not begin reproducing new blood cells until after 6-8 weeks._


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## casa99 (Oct 19, 2010)

Made a big oops then.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

casa99 said:


> Made a big oops then.



you are forgiven


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## kiwiUSA (Dec 31, 2013)

Hello, all, 
I was just doing research about the Canine Leishmaniasis, since we were planning on move to Spain for a year with our dogs. Now, I am reconsider it because this disease. 
I hope everyone's dog is healthy so far and not catching the disease. Any feedback on the vaccine or update on the situation? Has it gotten worse? Anywhere is safe in Spain? We were going to Malaga, but now we are not so sure. 

Thanks.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kiwiUSA said:


> Hello, all,
> I was just doing research about the Canine Leishmaniasis, since we were planning on move to Spain for a year with our dogs. Now, I am reconsider it because this disease.
> I hope everyone's dog is healthy so far and not catching the disease. Any feedback on the vaccine or update on the situation? Has it gotten worse? Anywhere is safe in Spain? We were going to Malaga, but now we are not so sure.
> 
> Thanks.


Unfortunately Malaga will be as bad as anywhere else.

We had two dogs and one has died from the disease - we were vaccinating. A friends dog has just been diagnosed with it so :fingerscrossed:

The vaccine costs about €200 per year for a large dog (ISTR).


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## kiwiUSA (Dec 31, 2013)

snikpoh said:


> Unfortunately Malaga will be as bad as anywhere else.
> 
> We had two dogs and one has died from the disease - we were vaccinating. A friends dog has just been diagnosed with it so :fingerscrossed:
> 
> The vaccine costs about €200 per year for a large dog (ISTR).


Hello, Snikpoh, 
I am so sorry for your lost. I am seriously re-consider our move due to this disease. I don't want to make them sick just because I want to experience Spain. I was told that vaccine + scalibor collar will get almost 100% prevention. Hope your friend's dog will be ok. Does your friend live in the rural area? or in the city? I wonder it will be safer in live in town.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kiwiUSA said:


> Hello, Snikpoh,
> I am so sorry for your lost. I am seriously re-consider our move due to this disease. I don't want to make them sick just because I want to experience Spain. I was told that vaccine + scalibor collar will get almost 100% prevention. Hope your friend's dog will be ok. Does your friend live in the rural area? or in the city? I wonder it will be safer in live in town.


Yes, we all live in the countryside.

I'm sure towns would be much safer.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

We have our three very small dogs vaccinated. They need three injections in the first year (40 Euros each injection for our dogs) and thereafter once a year - similar price.

One thing to bear in mind is that some dogs react to the injections quite badly - two of ours (Fraggle and Button) were fine but the latest (Mouse) was ill for a couple of days - especially after the second one and she didn't want to be touched - it was very painful when we picked her up. She's fine now.

I would still get it done - I wouldn't like my dogs to get Leish.

Incidentally, I have seen a treatment called Bioresonance Therapy touted for Leish - as a cure, not a preventative. Don't be fooled - it is quackery of the highest order, pseudoscientific nonsense. It is often promoted as an aid to stop smoking - which it doesn't. 



> Proven cases of online fraud have occurred,[8] with a practitioner making false claims that he had the ability to cure cancer, and that his clients did not need to follow the chemotherapy or surgery recommended by medical doctors, which can be life-saving. Ben Goldacre ridiculed the BBC when it reported as fact a clinic's claim that the treatment had the ability to stop 70% of clients smoking, a better result than any conventional therapy.[9]


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