Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog in UK with no travel diagnosed with Ehrlichia canis infection
By Wilson, H E et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2013·Highcroft Veterinary Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ehrlichia canis infection in a dog with no history of travel outside the United Kingdom.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old female neutered Tibetan terrier was brought to the vet after showing signs of extreme tiredness, not wanting to eat, and low blood cell counts for a month. Despite treatment with immunosuppressive drugs and antibiotics, her condition worsened, and tests revealed she had an infection from Ehrlichia canis, a type of bacteria. The dog was treated with doxycycline, prednisolone, and ciclosporin, but sadly, she passed away due to severe bleeding in her stomach. This case is notable as it is the first reported instance of this infection in a dog in the UK without a history of travel.
People also search for: dog lethargy and loss of appetite · Ehrlichia canis treatment · Tibetan terrier blood infection · dog gastrointestinal bleeding causes
Abstract
A two-year-old female neutered Tibetan terrier was referred following a one-month history of lethargy, inappetence and pancytopenia, which had been poorly responsive to immunosuppressive and fluoroquinolone treatment. The dog was diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia and was found to be positive for Ehrlichia canis by both antibody titre measurement and polymerase chain reaction. The dog lived in London and had not travelled outside the UK. The dog was treated with doxycycline, prednisolone and ciclosporin, but died as a result of gastrointestinal tract haemorrhage. To the authors' knowledge, this represents the first reported case of Ehrlichia canis in a dog in the UK with no previous travel history.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23718904/