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This is just a copy of the post I've put on the IG forum.
Last Saturday I attended a seminar organised by the Northern Maremma Association. It was held at Chesterfield, so I paid my fiver and went as I hadn't got anything planned for that day.
I have never really taken on board the idea of the pet passport scheme and after attending this seminar, I never will.
The subject matter was the Leishmaniasis disease. This disease is a silent killer, which can lie dormant in a dog's system for many years, then a trigger occurs, often stress related, and the disease takes hold. Before you know it, your beloved pet/s are dying before your very eyes. Your vet is unlikely to have heard of the disease and the treatments are very expensive, a DEFRA licence being required, which takes around 2 weeks to obtain, by which time it is too late. The treatments themselves cost around £800 per dog.
If dogs are screened for the disease they can be protected by using a drug which is relatively inexpensive but they will need to stay on it for a long time, perhaps the remaining years of their life. However, it is not a foolproof guarantee of protection.
So what is it that causes this disease. It is a parasitic fly, known as a sandfly, but that is actually a red herring because it doesn't usually live near sand. Once it has bitten, if it has the disease this is when your dog potentially contracts the disease.
There are a couple of blood tests that can be done to detect the disease and therefore allow you to take preventative action.
Where are the hotspots for this fly/disease - Portugal, Spain, Southern France, Italy and North Africa in particular, as these climates are really hot.
Advice given was to ensure that you keep your dog indoors from dusk to dawn as this is when the parasite is most active. A slide was shown of a dog which had 600 of these flies on it (taken by infra red cameras). They are not harmful to humans and only rarely has the disease been thought to have been passed from dog to dog.
The speakers were Mrs Walsh, who gave a harrowing account of how a dog she had imported succumbed to the disease. Most of the audience had tears in their eyes as she was recounting her dog's story. Anne Finch of Greyhounds in Need, the charity that rescues and rehomes Spanish Galgos (greyhounds) and Professor Robert Killick-Kendrick, a world renowned expert on the disease. Yes, he is the younger brother of Robert Killick who writes for Our Dogs. He delivered the main lecture with such consummate ease and professionalism that everyone who attended had a good understanding of the ravages of this disease.
It became clear that DEFRA has not thoroughly researched the impact of European based diseases, sticking only to rabies, ticks and worms. Bristol University has also done much research into the disease.
I don't scare easily but one thing I do know is that I would not want my beloved pets to contract this disease, it is just horrible!
I think there will be a report in Our Dogs, if not this week, certainly in the next few weeks and I strongly advise you to read it. At least then you will be aware of this terrible disease and perhaps decide to leave your pets at home, in the knowledge that they won't be harbouring any nasties on your return from your holiday.
I'm not trying to scaremonger, but just wanted to let you be more informed about holidaying abroad with your beloved pets.
If you would like to contact the secretary of the Northern Maremma Association, just pm me and I'll give you her contact details.
Last Saturday I attended a seminar organised by the Northern Maremma Association. It was held at Chesterfield, so I paid my fiver and went as I hadn't got anything planned for that day.
I have never really taken on board the idea of the pet passport scheme and after attending this seminar, I never will.
The subject matter was the Leishmaniasis disease. This disease is a silent killer, which can lie dormant in a dog's system for many years, then a trigger occurs, often stress related, and the disease takes hold. Before you know it, your beloved pet/s are dying before your very eyes. Your vet is unlikely to have heard of the disease and the treatments are very expensive, a DEFRA licence being required, which takes around 2 weeks to obtain, by which time it is too late. The treatments themselves cost around £800 per dog.
If dogs are screened for the disease they can be protected by using a drug which is relatively inexpensive but they will need to stay on it for a long time, perhaps the remaining years of their life. However, it is not a foolproof guarantee of protection.
So what is it that causes this disease. It is a parasitic fly, known as a sandfly, but that is actually a red herring because it doesn't usually live near sand. Once it has bitten, if it has the disease this is when your dog potentially contracts the disease.
There are a couple of blood tests that can be done to detect the disease and therefore allow you to take preventative action.
Where are the hotspots for this fly/disease - Portugal, Spain, Southern France, Italy and North Africa in particular, as these climates are really hot.
Advice given was to ensure that you keep your dog indoors from dusk to dawn as this is when the parasite is most active. A slide was shown of a dog which had 600 of these flies on it (taken by infra red cameras). They are not harmful to humans and only rarely has the disease been thought to have been passed from dog to dog.
The speakers were Mrs Walsh, who gave a harrowing account of how a dog she had imported succumbed to the disease. Most of the audience had tears in their eyes as she was recounting her dog's story. Anne Finch of Greyhounds in Need, the charity that rescues and rehomes Spanish Galgos (greyhounds) and Professor Robert Killick-Kendrick, a world renowned expert on the disease. Yes, he is the younger brother of Robert Killick who writes for Our Dogs. He delivered the main lecture with such consummate ease and professionalism that everyone who attended had a good understanding of the ravages of this disease.
It became clear that DEFRA has not thoroughly researched the impact of European based diseases, sticking only to rabies, ticks and worms. Bristol University has also done much research into the disease.
I don't scare easily but one thing I do know is that I would not want my beloved pets to contract this disease, it is just horrible!
I think there will be a report in Our Dogs, if not this week, certainly in the next few weeks and I strongly advise you to read it. At least then you will be aware of this terrible disease and perhaps decide to leave your pets at home, in the knowledge that they won't be harbouring any nasties on your return from your holiday.
I'm not trying to scaremonger, but just wanted to let you be more informed about holidaying abroad with your beloved pets.
If you would like to contact the secretary of the Northern Maremma Association, just pm me and I'll give you her contact details.
