A four-year-old, male entire, working Iranian shepherd dog from the Razavi Khorasan province in North-Eastern Iran, was presented to a specialist veterinary practice with a 24-hour history of penile bleeding and blood-tinged saliva, which had been noted the day after it had been drinking and paddling in a freshwater lake. The dog appeared bright and physical examination revealed no abnormalities other than those reported by the owner. The dog was sedated with ketamine and diazepam to allow a more detailed examination of his penis and prepuce. Two 30-mm leeches were found attached to the preputial and oral mucosa (Fig 1 A, B, respectively) and were presumptively identified as Limnatis nilotica based on morphological characteristics including their dark-green surface and two lateral yellowish-orange and green bands on either side. Vinegar was applied to the area of leech attachment and after a short delay the leeches were gently removed with forceps. Diluted chlorhexidine gluconate was then applied. The dog recovered well from the sedation and leech infestation. Although canine oral leech infestation is well described, preputial infestation is novel and should be considered if a dog has been exposed to contaminated waters.

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