Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with sudden Hepatozoon canis infection and anemia
By Masato Sakuma et al.·Published in Journal of Veterinary Medical Science·2009·View original on Semantic Scholar →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: A case report: a dog with acute onset of Hepatozoon canis infection.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A stray female beagle was brought to the vet with signs of anemia, which means she had low red blood cells. Blood tests showed several issues, including low platelets and high protein levels. The vet found a rare infection called Hepatozoon canis, confirmed through specialized DNA testing. After starting antibiotics, the dog's condition improved significantly. It's important for pet owners to be aware that this type of infection, while rare, can happen suddenly in dogs.
People also search for: dog anemia symptoms · Hepatozoon canis treatment · stray dog infection signs
Abstract
We present a clinical overview of a dog with acute onset of Hepatozoon canis infection. A stray female beagle dog of unknown age was referred to Kagoshima University showing anemia. Blood tests revealed the presence of anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyperproteinemia, polyclonal gammopathy, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated creatine kinase and alkaline phosphatase activities. In addition, capsule-like organisms were detected in the cytoplasm of approximately 50% of neutrophils in blood smears. H. canis infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing analyses. Amplified DNA fragments revealed 100% identity to the 18S ribosomal RNA gene of H. canis. The clinical symptoms improved after the administration of antibiotics. Hepatozoonosis in dogs is rare, but veterinarians should be alert to its possible acute onset.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/19578300