OldieGalgos, podencos and other dogs adopted from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece may carry Leishmania infantum, a parasite spread by sand flies that is endemic there. In a survey of 160 Spanish greyhounds from central Spain, 13 percent had antibodies to Leishmania, 10 percent to Anaplasma and 3 percent to Ehrlichia, and seropositive dogs showed changes in their blood counts1. Across Spain the proportion of apparently healthy dogs with antibodies ranges from near zero to over 30 percent by province2.
The disease can stay silent for months or years, then appear as weight loss, skin changes around the eyes, ears and nose, overgrown or brittle nails, enlarged lymph nodes, nosebleeds, or kidney disease. The LeishVet guidelines set out staging, treatment and long-term monitoring, and note that infected dogs need lifelong follow-up even when treatment goes well3.
If your dog came from the Mediterranean, tell every vet who sees them, ask for a Leishmania antibody test at the first senior check if one was never done, and treat any unexplained weight loss or skin change as a reason to test again. Kidney values on the routine senior panel are worth watching closely in a positive dog3.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Your vet knows your dog.
Sources
- Vector-borne pathogens in Spanish greyhounds from Central Spain: Prevalence and hematobiochemical findings (Martínez-Durán D et al.). Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports 68:101437, 2026 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
- Serological survey of Leishmania infantum in apparently healthy dogs in different areas of Spain (Baxarias M et al.). Veterinary Medicine and Science, 2023 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
- LeishVet guidelines for the practical management of canine leishmaniosis (Solano-Gallego L et al.). Parasites & Vectors 4:86, 2011 (peer reviewed; LeishVet group guideline). Accessed 2026-09-22.