Canine leishmaniasis is a serious and often fatal parasitic disease endemic in southern Europe, parts of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, with growing welfare implications as it spreads northward.
Canine leishmaniasis causes significant chronic suffering when untreated. The skin lesions, muscle wasting, and systemic immune dysfunction progressively reduce quality of life. Renal failure is a particularly serious complication — kidney damage may be irreversible even with treatment, and chronic kidney disease is a major cause of euthanasia in leishmania-positive dogs. In endemic regions, welfare is improved through preventive measures (vaccination, repellent collars, avoiding sandfly-active periods at dawn and dusk) and regular monitoring of owned dogs. Stray dog populations in endemic areas carry the disease at high rates and have little access to prevention or treatment — a significant welfare and public health challenge.