Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Clinical signs and blood changes in dogs with Rangelia vitalii in Rio
By Lemos, Tatiana Didonet et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2017·Departamento de Patologia e Clí·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical and hematological evaluation of Rangelia vitalii-naturally infected dogs in southeastern Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 36 dogs in southeastern Brazil were found to be infected with a tick-borne parasite called Rangelia vitalii. Many of these dogs showed symptoms like fever, bleeding from the skin, and diarrhea. Blood tests revealed that most had anemia (low red blood cells) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets), which can lead to further health issues. Treatment for these infections typically focuses on managing symptoms and supporting the dog's recovery. It's important for pet owners to be aware of these signs, especially in areas where ticks are common.
People also search for: dog fever and bleeding · tick-borne disease in dogs · Rangelia vitalii symptoms · dog diarrhea treatment · anemia in dogs
Abstract
Rangelia vitalii, a tick-borne piroplasm that infects dogs, has been recently molecularly characterized in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. Studies on molecular characterization of these piroplasms in different Brazilian regions are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and hematological changes in dogs caused by R. vitalii in the mountainous region of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Blood samples from 36 dogs were evaluated for piroplasms and hematological disorders using light microscopy and molecular analysis. Blood samples from all the animals included in this study were confirmed to be positive for R. vitalii through genetic sequencing. Clinical signspresented by 24 of the 36 dogs of the study were evaluated during appointments or hospitalization within private practice. The most frequent clinical disorders in these dogs that were naturally infected with R. vitalii were fever, spontaneous cutaneous bleeding and diarrhea. Normochromic non-regenerative anemia and thrombocytopenia were the most common hematological disorders in these R. vitalii-positive dogs and therefore should be considered in hematological evaluations on suspected cases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28902259/