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Travelling with a dog?


Sparkle

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We're just a couple of days away from confirmed results of our dog having Leishmania.... we live in Spain all year round and he always wears a Scalibor collar from April to usually about now. There is no total protection (or cure) against these sand flies that are infected then pass it on ... so do make sure if you are travelling into an area with risk of infection that you protect your pooch to the best of your ability by providing it with a collar.

 

It is recommended that they wear the collar at least a week before entering the area to allow for the collar to have effect - it won't protect totally but it apparantly does help against most sand fly bites.

 

You'll find more info on this site...for scalibor collars

http://www.intervet.co.uk/products_public/scalibor_collar/010_overview.asp

and this for the disease

http://www.leishmaniasis.info/

The collar packs do say that the effects last for 6 months, but the vets are starting to say that replacement should take place after 5 months.

I am not sure how cats are affected by the sand flies - it would be worth checking with your vet, but I'm not sure how many people travel with a cat, its certainly not as common as a dog.

 

 

Incidently I will also add that if travelling certainly in Spain around the Jan - April months then please watch out for the pine trees which appear to have large cobweb nests in them - these are not spiders nests but nests of prosessional caterpillars. They hatch out and fall tho the floor then prosess along, nose to tail, and are furry in appearence. If you come into contact - or your pet does, with the 'fur' like spines, then they are HIGHLY dangerous.

 

DO NOT stamp on them, DO NOT touch them - leave them well alone.... the only thing they do to destory them here is carefully cut the nests down and then burn them.

 

Again our poor pooch sucummbed and must have sniffed a spine on the ground, no caterpillar was visible, and his whole lip and tongue started to swell up. If they swallow then it can inflame the whole throat and cause anaphalactic shock. We had to rush Mutley to the vet and he had adrenalin injections every day for about 5 days running. Luckily he was ok - other dogs /cats aren't so lucky. One man we heard of stamped on some caterpillars and his legs swelled up and he was hospitalised.

 

 

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Yes excellent info - we came accross those catapillers in Minorca a few years ago - their the authorities had cardboard box things hanging in the trees to encourage the things to nest in them and then they were collected and destroyed.

 

It seemed to work as our Villa owner told us how dangerous these things were to humans and animals.

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CliveH - 2007-11-13 9:03 PM

 

Yes excellent info - we came accross those catapillers in Minorca a few years ago - their the authorities had cardboard box things hanging in the trees to encourage the things to nest in them and then they were collected and destroyed.

 

It seemed to work as our Villa owner told us how dangerous these things were to humans and animals.

 

Our poor dog became very lethargic, and started to slobber... with the tip of his tongue turning white. He was having problems breathing but we think he literally must have only just sniffed or slightly licked a hair from one of them... which just shows how horrible they can be. If you do notice anything then its wise to take your pet directly to a vet, if necessary phone for an emergency one - most vets have emergency contact details in their windows if the are shut.

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Please spread this to as many forums/people as possible.I live full time in Spain and I am forever warning UK visitors who walk there dogs in the local pine forest at this time of year,and in the summer I have never seen a UK dog wearing the scallibor,PLEASE you guys who live in the UK tell your vets put up posters in the waiting rooms e.t.c e.t.c I too have seen dogs with Leishmania and those affected with the prosessional caterpillars I would not wish it on any one.Good luck Sparkle
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dshague - 2007-11-14 10:42 PM

going to France next year  could be going to south of france. taking our dog for the first time ,Doe's this apply only to spain

 

If you click on the link for the information then the south of France is included.....

"Infection endemic in areas between 40°N and 40°S in Africa, South America, Europe and Asia. Outside these areas, occurs in dogs that have traveled through or are imported from endemic areas.

Countries adjoining the Mediterranean, including Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece) and North Africa, Central and South America.

Reports from the Netherlands suggest that up to 0.23% of dogs taken on vacation to the countries bordering the Mediterranean and Portugal return with leishmaniasis .

South-East USA, Asia (including India, Central Asia, China) and reported in Senegal, the Gambia and Sudan.

Increasing prevalence in non-traveled Foxhounds resident in previously non-endemic areas of North America and Canada. Not present in Australia."

 

"Claims that Scalibor protects dogs from sand fly bites are officially recognised in France, Spain, Greece and Italy and a claim is pending in Brazil."

 

Hope this helps.. better safe than sorry....

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  • 2 weeks later...

As a follow up on this thread, our dog does have Leishmania.

There are 2 ways this disease shows - internally and externally.

 

Internally it affects the liver and kidneys, and if not caught early y testing can be fatal.

Externally - the signs are: Weightloss despite eating well, bald patches in fur, dandruff appearence of fur, claws growing very quickly and twisting, general listlessness, sometimes vomiting and diarrohorea.

 

Mutley has to have 10 days of injections (just finished) another blood test (done today) and then 10 more injections with tablets for the rest of his poochy life. It can be managed, but he will probably have relapses, and even tho diagnosed he must STILL wear a scalibor collar every year - they recommend wearing from March onwards - change after 4 months as the effect of them wears off... and so you need 2 a year to run you thru the summer months when the sand flies are around.

 

Hope this helps anyone travelling in areas where it is prevelant.

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Wow, thanks for all that. Just returned yesterday from vet after blood test for anti-rabies and asked about Leishmania. Got all the info but also advised against two other nasties.

 

One is heartworm (potentially lethal), which is just what it says, treatment is once a month using Milbimax (cant remember whether it was a tablet or squirt on the back of the neck. Also continue for 3 to 4 months after returning.

 

The other is two diseases passed on by ticks that should be protected against using "Frontline" once a month.

 

Our vet also recommended using the Scalibor collar all year round.

 

And I thought it was going to be easy travelling with our dog.

 

All this to think about and we haven't even used the van yet!!!

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

went to the vets last week to collect the pets passport.

the  vet is from Germany so is aware of these problems.

says the same front line and scalibor collar ..also said watch for sand fly ..go away and enjoy your holiday with your dog ..he  is  correct

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Just as an update, Mutley is doing well, his latest blood test showed decreases in the levels in his blood, due to all the injections and the tablets, he has another blood test in a couple of weeks, if the levels have decreased again then he justhave to have tablets, if not then its more jabs for him.

 

All in all he is like himself again, more lively, talkative and putting weight on! - thank goodness!

 

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Here he is... enjoying the fresh air of the Sierra Nevada - and his first sighting of snow (albeit in the distance!).

 

He has what I hope will be his last blood test for a while today, and I'll get him weighed as well... he was as low as 5.4kg, but was 6.1kg last time 3 weeks ago, and has been eating like a horse since so we'll see....

948402600_Mutleyontour.jpg.df500b4dec2acc844642934294105029.jpg

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Hi sparkle,

Glad that mutley is on the mend. we had prblems with grass spikes in the south west of France, getting into our westie(hamish) paws in the spring it made one paw infected and we and we had to take him to the vet, for treatment and antibiotics we bathed the paw in salt water and it soon got better, harvest mites and mosquitoes were also a problem in the autumn despite frontlining frequently, we also found them a problem, Jungle insect spray was a must when going walkies.

Fortunatly we do not suffer from sand flies but do have lots of oaks so I will be looking out for the catapillers.

The information you have posted is most useful and we will be getting the collars and asking the vet for his advice.I am sure that all of us travelling with pets are grateful of your posts.

Unfortunately Hamish became poorly and died from acute kidney failure a couple of weeks after returning from France in October he was 12yrs old, The vet did not think that he had picked anything up whilst abroad, but it was still a shock. He is sorely missed,his mate died 2 years ago at 13 yrs and the house was too empty without a doggy so we now have a westie pup she is called Ellie and we will be able to take her with us when she has been chipped and had her injections.We are getting her used to the camper ,Hamish loved it and was always sat up front ready to go when we were loading up.good luck with mutley

 

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Hi Geoff

 

Sorry to hear about Hamish... its always sad to loose one of the fmaily. which pets are, but I am sure Ellie is filling your time well! I'm not 100% sure, but the caterpillars I have seen here I think only nest in pine trees... but naturally its always worth being wary!

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Can I ask where you get these scalliber collors from ? are they available in the UK , were going to Germany and France I havent heard of needing them only in Spain on the beaches!! Ive got a little Chihuahua so he is going to need protection being so near to the ground! any advice please. :-S

 

And something else Im worried about! keeping him from running off and exploring! he is 19 months old and being so small he dashes past my legs no problem! what I need is something that I can put across the door to restrain him that doesnt take up to much room to store and isnt heavy!

 

If Id known about all these nasties out there I wouldnt have bothered getting him his passport it is a worry isnt it?

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Hiya Your vet should be able to order the collar if he/she doesn't keep them in stock. Make sure you get the one which covers most of the beasties. I don't know if there's one will protect against absolutely everything. Failing that you should be able to buy one if France and put it on straight away. Our plans to go abroad have been delayed cos we got a new pup and her first rabies didn't take so we've had to go back to the beginning of the process. Costly business! Thank goodness the now treatment now lasts 3 years. Don't know how to keep a tiny dog/pup from getting out. We close the bottom half of the door. Would a baby gate be too heavy? Happy travelling.

Irene

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Keeping the dog in the van - if you're is the one with the habitation door at the front on the nearside, then I'd suggest making a lightweight 'gate' that fixes to the bulkhead at the rear of the passenger seat, that way you can open and close it as you need to get in and out of the van but keep the little monster inside. If you set it about 6-8 inches in from the door opening then if anyone needs to get in and out of the van they can simply step over it. If you do it carefully and only use a couple of screws to fix it at either side, then when you sell the van and want to remove it you can just glue some screw head covers over where the holes are and no-one will be any the wiser.

 

If you want something less permanent though, then garden trellis works well but does still need retraining in some way and your little doggie might get through it!

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