Background: Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is a common infectious disease. Age, sex and breed might influence the type of clinical and pathological manifestations that dogs develop. The main objective of this retrospective crosssectional study was to determine if an association between age, sex, breed and size and the clinical findings of CanL exists. Material and methods: Dogs with a diagnosis of leishmaniosis were enrolled (n = 123). Clinical information, including signalment, clinical signs and laboratory abnormalities, was retrieved from medical records from different veterinary facilities from Catalonia. Results: Young dogs developed less frequently systemic signs (p = 0.0046), renal (p = 0.0019) and haematologic (p = 0.0275) abnormalities, while dermatologic signs were more common in young and adult dogs compared with old ones (p = 0.0451). Young dogs showed proteinuria less often than adult and old dogs (p = 0.0029). Young dogs did not present renal azotemia, while old dogs showed occasionally renal azotemia (p = 0.0478). Young dogs were mainly classified as mild-moderate LeishVet clinical stages of the disease, and very rarely as severe-very severe LeishVet clinical stages, compared with adult and old dogs (p = 0.0457). Purebred dogs significantly developed ulcerative dermatitis more frequently than crossbred dogs (p = 0.0460).
Conclusion:This study describes that age is associated with differences in clinicopathological findings of CanL.