The mainstay of diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis is based on several premises:
- Detection of the parasite by cytology or histopathology of lesions.
- Serology and proteinogram.
- Additional tests: PCR, bone marrow cytology, etc.
Serology should always be accompanied by a proteinogram, as it can provide valuable information on the active state of the disease.
Bone marrow studies are often of vital importance for diagnosis, especially in cases of non-regenerative anaemia and pancytopenia. It should be remembered that thrombocytopenia is NOT a contraindication for this test.
When it comes to diagnosis, rapid serological tests are more specific than sensitive tests, therefore, they are tests that should be more useful to confirm the disease than to rule it out.
