Leishmaniosis in dogs – signs and spread

Updated 2026-09-30 · 2 sources

Based on: ESCCAP, IZS delle Venezie

Contact a vet today

Contact your vet today if you think your dog has this – it can become serious. Leishmaniosis is a parasitic infection caused by Leishmania infantum and spread to dogs by phlebotomine sand flies.

What to do now

What you can do now

Contact your vet today.
Note when it started, how often it happens and what else you see.
Take a photo or short video to show the vet.
Keep fresh water available.
Let your dog rest somewhere calm.

Don't

Do not give any human medicine.
Do not wait if it gets worse.

What it is and how it spreads

Leishmaniosis involves the parasite Leishmania infantum and spreads to dogs through phlebotomine sand fly bites. Vector activity is linked to a minimum temperature of 15°C. [1]^[1] It is endemic in southern Europe; in Italy it is expanding northwards, with prevalence rising in historically endemic areas. [1, 2] People can be infected too.

Signs

Skin lesions at sand fly bite sites, including the ears, nose or abdomen
Enlarged lymph nodes
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Weakness
Non-itchy, scaly skin with hair loss
Overgrown nails
Nosebleed
Kidney disease with protein in the urine

Signs can appear after an incubation period of three months to years. [1]

How pets pick it up

Phlebotomine sand flies
Southern Europe
Imported and occasional local cases further north

Where in Europe it occurs

Country	Occurrence
France	Common (endemic)
Italy	Common (endemic)
Portugal	Common (endemic)
Romania	Common (endemic)
Spain	Common (endemic)
Austria	Rare
Belgium	Rare
Czechia	Rare
Denmark	Rare
Finland	Rare
Germany	Rare
Netherlands	Rare
Poland	Rare
Sweden	Rare
Switzerland	Rare
United Kingdom	Rare

What the experts say

“In affected dogs, enlargement of single or multiple lymph nodes may be evident accompanied by weight loss, anorexia and weakness.”
— ESCCAP [1]

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

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Common questions

How long after infection can signs appear?

The incubation period can range from three months to years. [1]^[1]

When are the vectors active?

Vector activity is linked to a minimum temperature of 15°C. [1]^[1]

Where in Europe does it occur?

It is endemic in southern Europe; in Italy it is expanding northwards, with prevalence rising in historically endemic areas. [1, 2]

Sources

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages