Fleas, ticks and leishmaniosis: parasite protection in the Mediterranean

Warm Mediterranean weather means parasites are active for much of the year. Fleas and ticks are a nuisance and can spread disease — but in Greece, the parasite every dog owner most needs to know about is the sand fly.

Leishmaniosis and sand flies

Canine leishmaniosis is a serious, long-term disease caused by the parasite Leishmania infantum, spread by the bite of tiny phlebotomine sand flies. Infected dogs can develop skin sores, hair loss around the eyes, weight loss, nosebleeds, overgrown nails and, eventually, kidney failure. It is common in Greece and across southern Europe, and it can also infect people.

How to protect your dog

1. Use a sand fly repellent all season — or all year round in warm areas. Collars or spot-ons containing deltamethrin, flumethrin or permethrin repel sand flies and stop most bites. Depending on the product, protection lasts from a few weeks up to a year. This is the most important step.
2. Keep your dog indoors from dusk to dawn during sand fly season (roughly April to November), when sand flies are most active. Fine mesh screens or insecticide-treated nets help.
3. Consider vaccination. The EU-licensed vaccine (LetiFend) adds protection but doesn't replace repellents. (An older vaccine, CaniLeish, was withdrawn in 2023.)
4. Annual blood tests catch infection early, when treatment works best.

Dogs adopted from Greece and moving abroad should be tested before they travel.

Ticks

Ticks can spread babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and Lyme disease.

• Check your dog after every walk in long grass or scrub, especially the head, ears, armpits, groin and between the toes.
• Use a tick prevention product — attached ticks should die within 24–48 hours.
• Remove ticks with a tick hook: slide it under the tick close to the skin and twist gently until it comes away. Don't squeeze the body, burn it or cover it in oil, and make sure the mouthparts don't stay in.

Fleas

• Look for flea dirt (black specks that turn red on damp paper), especially on the lower back.
• Treat every pet in the household with a licensed product dosed by weight, all year round.
• Most of a flea infestation lives in your home, not on your pet, as eggs and larvae. Wash bedding hot and vacuum thoroughly; your vet can recommend a household spray.

⚠️ Never use dog flea products on cats

Many dog spot-ons and collars contain permethrin, which is highly toxic to cats. Even close contact with a freshly treated dog can poison a cat. Signs include twitching, tremors and seizures — it's an emergency. Always use products made for cats, and keep cats away from treated dogs until the product has dried.