Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fatal Babesia canis infection in splenectomized Estonian dog
By Tiškina, Valentina et al.·Published in Acta veterinaria Scandinavica·2016·Estonian University of Life Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fatal Babesia canis canis infection in a splenectomized Estonian dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog from Estonia that had its spleen removed suddenly stopped eating and had dark urine. Despite receiving supportive care, the dog's health quickly worsened over just one day, leading to a significant drop in blood platelets and a high number of blood parasites. Unfortunately, the dog was euthanized before it could receive specific treatment for the infection. Tests later confirmed that the dog had a severe infection caused by Babesia canis canis, a parasite that can be especially dangerous for dogs without a spleen.
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Abstract
A previously splenectomized dog from Estonia was presented with a sudden lack of appetite and discoloration of the urine. Despite supportive therapy, its condition deteriorated dramatically during 1 day. Severe thrombocytopenia and high numbers of protozoan hemoparasites were evident in blood smears, and the hematocrit dropped from 46 to 33 %. The dog was euthanized before specific antibabesial treatment was initiated. Blood samples from the dog and from two other dogs in the same household tested positive for Babesia using molecular methods, and the sequences of partial 18S rRNA gene confirmed the causative species as Babesia canis canis. The risk of severe, rapidly progressing babesiosis in splenectomized dogs merits awareness.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26810086/