Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Babesia vulpes infection causing anemia in a dog in Russia
By Radyuk, Ekaterina & Karan, Lyudmila·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2020·Central Research Institute of Epidemiology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A case of Babesia vulpes infection in a dog in Russia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old female pit bull terrier in Moscow was brought to the vet because she was less active and losing weight, even though she was still eating normally. Tests showed she had severe anemia and kidney problems, and a blood test revealed she was infected with Babesia vulpes, a type of parasite. The vet started treatment with medications, but unfortunately, the dog's condition worsened, and she had to be euthanized a week later due to a poor prognosis. It's believed she may have contracted the infection from a bite during a fight with another dog two years earlier.
People also search for: dog weight loss and low energy · Babesia infection in dogs · pit bull anemia treatment
Abstract
A six-year old pit bull terrier, female, was presented to a veterinary clinic in Mocsow, Russia. The leading clinical signs were a decrease in the physical activity of the dog with weight loss despite normal appetite. The dog had never traveled to other regions, but there was a history of a fight with a dog from Serbia about two years before. A severe anemia and azotemia were revealed during the examination. The merozoites of small Babesia were detected in a blood smear, which were identified as Babesia vulpes by PCR. The treatment with imidocarb dipropionate and atovaquone in combination with azithromycin was started, but one week later the dog was euthanized because of a serious health condition and poor prognosis. Contact transmission due to bites might have been the cause of infection in this case.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33308724/