Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Annual blood test for ehrlichiosis in dogs may not need treatment
By Hegarty, Barbara C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2009·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Clinical relevance of annual screening using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (SNAP 3Dx) for canine ehrlichiosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 86 dogs tested positive for Ehrlichia canis, a type of tick-borne infection, using a screening test called SNAP 3Dx. Further testing showed that while many dogs had antibodies indicating exposure to the bacteria, only a small number actually had an active infection. Interestingly, 39% of the dogs with positive results had low platelet counts, which can indicate health issues. The study suggests that just relying on this screening test for treatment isn't the best approach, as many dogs may not need treatment despite positive results.
People also search for: dog Ehrlichia canis symptoms · dog low platelet count treatment · dog tick-borne disease testing
Abstract
Eighty-six dogs were selected based upon Ehrlichia (E.) canis SNAP 3Dx positive results to determine clinical relevance of annual E. canis screening. Immunofluorescence assay showed 72 (84%) of 86 dogs were seroreactive for E. canis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed that 12 (14%) of 86 dogs had Ehrlichia deoxyribonucleic acid; seven had E. canis, four had E. ewingii, and one was coinfected with E. chaffeensis and E. ewingii. Thrombocytopenia (<164,000 platelets/microL) was found in 28 (39%) of 72 dogs. In this study, thrombocytopenia was frequently detected in healthy Ehrlichia SNAP 3Dx-positive dogs, whereas active infection was infrequently confirmed by PCR. Therefore, treatment based upon screening results alone is not recommended.
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/19411647/