$item =~ s/( \d+-\d+)/\\$1/g;

$cmd = "blah blah fred blat $item blah blah blah";

$logger->info("Request data for $item");

 ( $output, $errput ) = $ssh->capture2( $cmd )
       or $logger->logdie( "Export failed: " . $ssh->error );

$logger->debug("\n$output");
[download]

# call args: ['ssh','-S','/home/testuser/.libnet-openssh-perl/user-10.
+10.10.10-10528-606627','-l','user','-p','2024','10.10.10.10','--','bl
+ah blah fred blat ITEM\\ 0-17\\ 0-19 blah blah blah']
# open_ex: ['ssh','-S','/home/testuser/.libnet-openssh-perl/user-10.10
+.10.10-10528-606627','-l','user','-p','2024','10.10.10.10','--','blah
+ blah fred blat ITEM\\ 0-17\\ 0-19 blah blah blah']
# io3 mloop, cin: 0, cout: 1, cerr: 1
# io3 fast, cin: 0, cout: 1, cerr: 1
# stdout, bytes read: 728 at offset 0
#> 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2
+d 5e 0d 0a 73 79 6e 74 61 78 | -----------------------^..syntax
[download]

So, what you get is what you have been asking for.

The remote command being invoked is blah blah fred blat ITEM\ 0-17\ 0-19 blah blah blah.