Going on Holiday with Your Dog: Avoid Unwanted Souvenirs

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a chronic illness caused by the Leishmania parasite. It’s transmitted by sand flies that live in the Mediterranean region.

Leishmaniasis develops gradually, with symptoms appearing anywhere from 3 months to 6 years after infection. Common signs include white, flaky skin with inflammation and hair loss around the eyes and ears. Other symptoms include lethargy and weight loss. You may also notice thickened skin, crusting, or cracking on the nose and paw pads, as well as changes in the nails. Chronic kidney and joint inflammation can occur, and inflamed blood vessels can lead to blisters on the skin and mucous membranes. Without treatment, the disease can be fatal.

Medication can help control the illness, but the parasite remains in the dog’s body for life, and symptoms often return over time.

Tick-borne diseases

Ticks are spider-like creatures that feed on the blood of animals. They wait in bushes and grasses for a suitable host to pass by, then attach themselves and bite. While ticks themselves don’t cause illness, they can transmit dangerous diseases. In the Netherlands, Lyme disease is a known risk, transmitted by ticks carrying the Borrelia bacterium.

In warmer parts of Europe, ticks can transmit other diseases to dogs, such as babesiosis and ehrlichiosis.

Babesiosis (tick fever)

Ticks that carry Babesia are found in southern, central and eastern Europe. Babesia is a microscopic parasite that lives in a dog’s red blood cells, causing them to rupture and leading to anaemia.

Symptoms appear 1 to 3 weeks after infection and include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, blood in the urine, vomiting, pale gums, and jaundice. Not all symptoms occur at once, and their severity can vary. Babesiosis is usually treatable, but without treatment it can be fatal.

You can prevent this disease by protecting your dog from ticks and removing any ticks as soon as possible.

Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis is caused by the bacterium Ehrlichia canis, which infects a dog’s white blood cells. It is transmitted by the same tick species that spreads Babesia, so dogs are often infected with both diseases simultaneously.

In the acute phase, symptoms include lethargy, depression, fever, breathing issues, swollen lymph nodes, nosebleeds and vomiting. In the subclinical phase, which can last for weeks or months, dogs may appear healthy. In the chronic phase, symptoms can range from weakness and lethargy to kidney issues and neurological problems.

The most effective prevention is stopping ticks from attaching to your dog in the first place. Use tick repellents such as spot-on treatments or special collars.

Heartworm

Heartworm disease is mostly found in the Mediterranean region. The parasite (Dirofilaria immitis) is transmitted by mosquitoes, which deposit heartworm larvae into the dog’s bloodstream. After about three months, these larvae travel to the pulmonary arteries, where they develop into adult worms. The adult worms reproduce and release microfilariae into the blood, which are then taken up by mosquitoes and passed to other dogs, continuing the cycle.

Most dogs don’t show symptoms at first. When symptoms do appear, they include coughing, reduced stamina and fainting. In severe cases, heartworms can block blood flow in the heart, which is life-threatening and often fatal.

Treating heartworm can be difficult because killing the worms all at once can clog the lungs’ blood vessels. In some cases, surgery by a specialist is required.

That’s why prevention is key. There are two main steps: 1) prevent mosquito bites, and 2) kill heartworm larvae before they mature. To repel mosquitoes, use a tick repellent collar. To kill larvae, deworm your dog with deworming products.

Learn more in our blog ‘Heartworm in dogs and cats’.

Echinococcus (fox tapeworm)

The fox tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) is a small parasite that lives in the intestines of foxes and dogs. Infected foxes shed worm eggs in their faeces, which are then eaten by small rodents. The eggs develop into cysts in the rodents’ organs. When a fox or dog eats an infected rodent, the tapeworm matures in its intestine.

Humans can also become accidental hosts by ingesting eggs from contaminated food or soil, e.g. while gardening.

Fox tapeworms are found mainly in central and eastern Europe but are spreading. They’ve now been reported in Belgium, France, and parts of the Netherlands (South Limburg and East Groningen).

Dogs generally show no symptoms, but infection in humans can be serious. That’s why regular deworming is important. Hunting dogs and dogs that roam freely in at-risk areas should be dewormed every 4 to 6 weeks with a product containing praziquantel.

Rabies

Rabies is caused by the rabies virus and can infect all mammals, including humans. Fortunately, rabies is rare in the Netherlands, but it’s more common in some countries — particularly among stray dogs and cats. In eastern Europe, foxes also play a major role in spreading the disease.

Rabies spreads through the saliva of infected animals. After infection, symptoms may take months to appear. The virus attacks the central nervous system, leading to behavioural changes, aggression, paralysis, foaming at the mouth, hallucinations and fear of water. There is no cure.

Vaccination is therefore essential and required when travelling abroad. Dogs must be vaccinated against rabies at least 3 weeks before departure.

Always prepare thoroughly before travelling with your dog. You can find more advice in our blog ‘Going on holiday with your pet? Tips and advice’.

Do you have questions about protecting your dog abroad? Feel free to contact us via [email protected].