When people look at Izzy today, they often see a gentle, affectionate dog with kind eyes and a calm nature. They see a dog who enjoys soft beds, quiet moments and the reassuring touch of a familiar hand. What they cannot see is the battle taking place inside her body every single day.
Izzy has already overcome more than most dogs ever should. After surviving a catastrophic injury to her throat, she fought her way through weeks of treatment and recovery, gradually learning that life could be safe again. It would have been easy to believe that once those wounds had healed, the hardest part of her journey was behind her. Instead, further investigations revealed something far more complex. Izzy was diagnosed with advanced leishmaniasis, alongside ehrlichiosis and suddenly her recovery became something very different. We were no longer treating an injury that would eventually heal. We were learning how to help her live with diseases that would remain with her for the rest of her life.
Leishmaniasis is caused by the parasite Leishmania infantum, which is transmitted by infected sand flies and is found throughout many Mediterranean countries, including Türkiye. Unlike many infectious diseases, it cannot usually be completely eliminated from the body. Treatment can reduce the number of parasites and help control the illness, but the parasite often remains hidden within the immune system, ready to exploit any opportunity to become active again. For many dogs, leishmaniasis becomes a lifelong condition requiring careful monitoring, ongoing treatment and regular adjustments to their care.
What makes leishmaniasis particularly devastating is that much of the damage happens quietly. While some dogs develop skin lesions, hair loss, nosebleeds or swollen lymph nodes, the most serious consequences are often taking place where nobody can see them. As the parasite interacts with the immune system, it triggers the formation of immune complexes that circulate through the bloodstream before becoming trapped in delicate tissues throughout the body. The kidneys are especially vulnerable. Over time, these microscopic filters become inflamed and damaged, reducing their ability to remove waste products from the blood. It is this gradual loss of kidney function, rather than the parasite itself, that ultimately becomes the greatest threat to many dogs living with advanced leishmaniasis.
That is why kidney health now sits at the centre of Izzy’s treatment plan. Every decision we make is guided by one question: how do we give her kidneys the greatest possible support for as long as we can? There is no single medication that can cure her disease or restore the damage that has already occurred. Instead, managing her leishmaniasis is about slowing progression, protecting the organs that are still functioning and preserving quality of life for as long as possible.
One of the most important parts of that care is Pronefra, a renal support supplement designed to help dogs with chronic kidney disease. It works by helping to manage phosphate levels while supporting normal kidney function, reducing some of the burden placed on organs that are already working much harder than they should. Alongside this, Izzy receives Implex as part of her wider nutritional support, helping to maintain her overall health while her body continues to cope with the effects of multiple chronic diseases. Her diet is equally important. Prescription renal food is carefully formulated with controlled phosphorus levels, high quality digestible protein and nutrients specifically designed to support compromised kidneys. It is not simply a different brand of dog food; it is an essential part of her medical treatment, helping to reduce further kidney damage while maintaining her strength and wellbeing.
The reality of living with advanced leishmaniasis is that there is no finish line. There is no moment when treatment ends and life returns to normal. Instead, there is a commitment to providing the best possible care every single day. Success is measured differently. It is found in stable blood results, a healthy appetite, comfortable sleep, gentle walks, a wagging tail and the quiet contentment of a dog who still finds joy in the world despite everything her body is carrying.
Izzy reminds us every day why that commitment matters. She does not know the names of her diseases or understand the purpose of the bottles and bags that arrive each month. She simply knows that she feels safe, that she is loved and that life is still worth embracing. Every month that we can continue providing the treatment she depends upon is another month in which she can enjoy that life.
That is why this month’s Dog Desk Animal Action auction has been dedicated entirely to funding Izzy’s August care. Our goal is to raise £215, enough to provide the Pronefra, Implex and prescription renal food that she relies upon to remain stable. Every winning bid helps transform that target into another month of comfort, another month of careful management and another month in which Izzy can simply be a dog.
Leishmaniasis may be a disease that cannot be cured, but compassion has the power to change what life with that disease looks like. Because of the people who continue to stand beside her, Izzy is not defined by her diagnosis. She is defined by resilience, by hope and by the kindness that gives her the chance to keep living each day to the fullest.