Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart problems in dogs infected with Babesia canis explained
By Bartnicki, M et al.·Published in Polish journal of veterinary sciences·2017·.·View original on PubMed →
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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Cardiac disorders in dogs infected with Babesia canis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs infected with Babesia canis, a parasite that causes babesiosis, showed various heart problems during testing. Out of 50 affected dogs, many had low platelet counts, and some experienced changes in their heart's electrical activity and structure. Notably, 19 of these dogs had elevated troponin levels, which can indicate heart damage, and two dogs that died from the infection had very high troponin levels. While heart changes were common in these dogs, most were not serious, but high troponin and CK-MB levels could suggest a worse outcome.
People also search for: dog heart problems Babesia canis · elevated troponin in dogs · babesiosis symptoms in dogs
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess cardiac disorders in dogs infected with B. canis. The study included 50 dogs with babesiosis and 20 healthy control animals. All the animals had haematological tests, ECG, echocardiography and serum troponin I and CK-MB levels checked. The haematology in the group of dogs with babesiosis confirmed thrombocytopaenia in 100% of dogs, decreased haematocrit in 52% and anaemia in 46%. The most common abnormalities in ECG and echocardiography in dogs infected with protozoa included: change in appearance and/or amplitude of the T-wave (34%), increased fractional shortening (24%), an increased sinus rhythm (14%) and heart axis deviation (10%). In 19 of the 50 dogs with babesiosis, the level of serum troponin I was elevated. In 2 dogs that died from babesiosis, the troponin level I was very high. The ECG confirmed sinus tachycardia and interpolated ventricular beat in these animals. In all dogs with babesiosis that were used in the study, the serum CK-MB was high or very high and was within limits of 23.17 U/L - 369.62 U/L. The highest kinase concentration (367.33 U/L and 369.62 U/L) was observed in dogs that died due to the disease. The presented results prove that cardiac changes are common in canine babesiosis, but that most changes are nonspecific and appear to have little clinical significance. Cardiovascular assessment should be based on the assessment of the level of troponin I and CK-MB in the serum of sick animals. High concentrations of these factors might be indicators of poor prognosis.
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 PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29166283/