Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Platelet problems and bleeding in dogs with ehrlichiosis infection
By Brandão, Leonardo P et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2006·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Platelet aggregation studies in acute experimental canine ehrlichiosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs infected with Ehrlichia canis, a bacteria that causes a serious disease, showed low platelet counts and bleeding tendencies. This study found that even after the platelet counts improved, the dogs still had issues with how well their platelets worked, which could lead to further bleeding problems. The researchers monitored the dogs over several weeks and noted that the platelet function was impaired for at least 35 days after infection. Understanding this can help veterinarians better manage the risks of bleeding in dogs recovering from this illness.
People also search for: dog bleeding after ehrlichiosis · canine ehrlichiosis symptoms · dog platelet dysfunction treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Thrombocytopenia is the most common and consistent hematologic finding in patients with canine monocytic ehrlichiosis. Dogs that recover from the severe thrombocytopenia still show bleeding tendencies, which suggest that platelet dysfunction is present. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence and duration of platelet dysfunction in dogs with ehrlichiosis and to assess whether dysfunction is related to thrombocytopenia. METHODS: Ten adult male and female mongrel dogs were used in the study; 7 were inoculated intravenously with whole blood containing Ehrlichia canis, and 3 were used as controls. Platelet aggregation (with collagen/epinephrine and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)/epinephrine) and platelet counts were evaluated weekly for 112 days. RESULTS: The infected group showed a decrease in platelet aggregation response to collagen/epinephrine and ADP/epinephrine on days 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 (P <.05). Thrombocytopenia was observed in all infected animals from day 7 to 35 postinfection (P <.05). CONCLUSIONS: The tendency of dogs infected with E canis to bleed may be related not only to thrombocytopenia but also to platelet dysfunction associated with the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16511794/