Canine cutaneous leishmaniosis: lesions and diagnosis
5-year-old Podenco from Andalusia with dry, silvery scaling around the eyes and on the pinnae, ulcers on the ear margins, long curved nails (onychogryphosis) and generalised lymphadenomegaly. It is not pruritic. An in-clinic qualitative rapid antibody test is weakly positive.
What is the most appropriate next step?
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A. Start allopurinol without further tests, because the rapid test is positive
A qualitative test can neither confirm nor stage the disease. Without knowing renal function and proteinuria, treatment cannot be chosen and no prognosis can be given.
B. Deep skin scrapings to look for mites, as this is the most likely cause
Scrapings help rule out demodicosis, but non-pruritic periocular scaling, ear-tip ulcers, onychogryphosis and lymphadenomegaly in a dog from an endemic area strongly suggest leishmaniosis.
C. Quantitative serology (IFAT or ELISA), lymph node cytology, CBC, biochemistry, serum protein electrophoresis and urinalysis with UPC
Correct. High titres with compatible signs confirm leishmaniosis; cytology may show amastigotes. Creatinine/SDMA and UPC allow staging (LeishVet) and treatment choice. PCR of lymph node, bone marrow or skin is useful when serology is equivocal.
D. Skin biopsy as the only diagnostic test
Histopathology may show granulomatous dermatitis with amastigotes and helps in atypical presentations, but it does not stage the systemic disease, which determines the prognosis.
lightbulb Key takeaway
Non-pruritic exfoliative dermatitis is the most common cutaneous form of leishmaniosis; ulcers, nodules, papular dermatitis and onychogryphosis also occur. In Spain, any unusual dermatosis in a dog from an endemic area warrants ruling out Leishmania. On cytology, amastigotes measure 2–4 µm and have a nucleus and a rod-shaped kinetoplast.
References: LeishVet guidelines for the practical management of canine leishmaniosis (Solano-Gallego et al., 2011)
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Updated: October 31, 2026 · Educational content for veterinary professionals. It does not replace current clinical guidelines or the judgement of the attending veterinarian.