Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with both Leishmania infantum and Ehrlichia canis infections
By Stefanovska Jovana et al.·Published in Macedonian Veterinary Review·2011
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Original publication title: Case report of canine co-infection with Leishmania infantum and Ehrlichia canis
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old female Samoyed was brought to the vet with a nosebleed (epistaxis) and was initially diagnosed with canine leishmaniasis, a disease caused by the Leishmania parasite. She was treated with Allopurinol for six months, but after stopping the medication, she developed severe symptoms including weakness, dehydration, and signs of kidney failure. Further testing revealed that she also had a co-infection with Ehrlichia canis, which likely worsened her condition. The combination of these infections required careful management, and the dog’s health deteriorated significantly without ongoing treatment.
People also search for: dog nosebleed causes · Samoyed kidney failure treatment · canine leishmaniasis symptoms
Abstract
Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) due to Leishmania infantum and canine monocytic ehrilichiosis (CME) due to Ehrlichia canis are common diseases with zoonotic potential in the Mediterranean area. Their prevalence in R. Macedonia as a neighboring Mediterranean county is expected. In both diseases similar clinical symptoms can be manifested in dogs such as: lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, epistaxis, fever, pale mucous membranes, enlarged lymph nodes, splenomegaly, ocular signs. This case report present an atypical case of 11 year old female Samoyed with starting single clinical symptom epistaxys. Initial diagnostic procedures revealed the presence only of CanL, which was diagnosed using indirect immunofluorescence method and ELISA. First laboratory findings showed normal hematological and renal profiles. Dog was put on a treatment with Allopurinol (20mg/kg, p/o) for at least 9 months. Termination of the therapy after 6 months brought a numerous clinical symptoms involving weakness, dehydration, pale mucous membranes lost pupilar reflex, uremic breath and biochemical parameters revealed a renal failure. Using a commercial ELISA kit Ehrlichia canis as a co infection was diagnosed. Most probably the second infectious agent was induced in the past 6 months, causing more severe pathological effects than CanL infection alone.
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