Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bleeding risk during surgery in Grenadian dogs with Anaplasma
By Lanza-Perea, M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2014·School of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Intraoperative bleeding in dogs from Grenada seroreactive to Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Grenada undergoing elective surgeries experienced significant bleeding during operations, particularly those that tested positive for Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis, two tick-borne infections. Even though these dogs appeared healthy and had normal blood clotting tests, they showed higher bleeding scores compared to dogs that were negative for these infections. The study found that a substantial number of the infected dogs had detectable DNA from these pathogens in their blood and bone marrow. This suggests that even seemingly healthy dogs with these infections may be at risk for bleeding during surgery, highlighting the need for better tick control in the area.
People also search for: dog surgery bleeding risk · Anaplasma platys symptoms in dogs · Ehrlichia canis treatment for dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Frequent exposure of Grenadian dogs to Rhipicephalus sanguineus results in Anaplasma platys, and Ehrlichia canis seroreactivity. During elective surgeries, substantial intraoperative hemorrhage occurs in some seroreactive dogs. OBJECTIVES: To assess hemostatic parameters and bleeding tendencies as well as prevalence of PCR positivity in apparently healthy A. platys and E. canis seroreactive and seronegative free-roaming dogs from Grenada. ANIMALS: Forty-seven elective surgery dogs allocated to 4 groups: Seronegative control (n = 12), A. platys (n = 10), E. canis (n = 14) and A. platys, and E. canis (n = 11) seroreactive. METHODS: Preoperatively, hemostasis was assessed by platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and buccal mucosal bleeding time. Intra- and postoperative bleeding scores were subjectively assigned. Blood, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph node aspirates were tested by PCR. RESULTS: Bleeding scores in dogs coseroreactive for A. platys and E. canis were higher (P = .015) than those of seronegative dogs. A. platys DNA was amplified from 7/21 (33%) A. platys seroreactive dogs and from 1 E. canis seroreactive dog; E. canis DNA was amplified from 21/25 (84%) E. canis seroreactive dogs. E. canis DNA was amplified most often from blood, whereas A. platys DNA was amplified most often from bone marrow. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Apparently healthy, free-roaming dogs coseropositive for A. platys and E. canis may have increased intraoperative bleeding tendencies despite normal hemostatic parameters. Future investigations should explore the potential for vascular injury as a cause for bleeding in these dogs. Improved tick control is needed for dogs in Grenada.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25274547/