You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

This week saw the first report of a dog dying in the UK as a direct result of contracting a serious disease whilst travelling around mainland Europe under the new Pet Travel Scheme

A letter in the Veterinary Record this week (McConnell T.I. April 15th 2000. Vol 146 No16. p476) reports the first case of a fatality caused by a serious disease  (Babesiosis) contracted by a West Highland White Terrier whilst it was in France under the new Pet Travel Scheme. The dog contracted the disease through tick infestation which she picked up shortly after arriving in France. Unfortunately she died 2.5 weeks after returning from France - even though she had undergone the compulsory tick treatment at Nantes veterinary school before she returned to the UK.  

This case highlights one of the problems that face pets which move from one geographical area to another ...that is that they do not have any natural resistance to "exotic diseases" that they may come into contact with. Whereas they do have some immunity to infectious agents that are present in their usual "home" environment. As a result they may be unable to mount a quick enough immune response to prevent them succumbing to these diseases.

Another serious disease which is being seen with increasing frequency is Leishmaniasis - which can also be transmitted to humans. It is being seen in imported animals, particularly from Mediterranean countries eg Spain, where the sand flies that play a role in transmitting the disease are present. However, there are potential insect vectors for this disease in the UK already and it is only a matter of time before the disease becomes endemic in the UK unless preventative measures can be taken to stop its spread.