Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Babesia gibsoni infection causing severe anemia in dogs
By Conrad, P et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1991·Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hemolytic anemia caused by Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Eleven dogs in southern California developed severe anemia due to an infection with Babesia gibsoni, a parasite that attacks red blood cells. Owners noticed symptoms like extreme tiredness, loss of appetite, and pale gums. Diagnosing this infection can be tricky, as it can be confused with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Unfortunately, the current treatments for Babesia gibsoni are often ineffective, making it a serious concern for dogs across the country.
People also search for: dog lethargy and pale gums · Babesia gibsoni symptoms · dog anemia treatment · autoimmune hemolytic anemia in dogs · dog blood parasite infection
Abstract
Babesia gibsoni caused severe hemolytic anemia in 11 dogs from southern California. The most common clinical signs of B gibsoni infection were lethargy, anorexia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Acute infection with B gibsoni may be misdiagnosed as autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Diagnosis was most reliably determined by identification of the intraerythrocytic parasites on Giemsa-stained blood smears. The pathogenicity of B gibsoni, difficulties in diagnosis, the parasite's resistance to treatment with available drugs, and frequent interstate movement of dogs indicate that this disease may be a serious threat to dogs throughout the United States.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1787120/