Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pancreatic enzyme changes in dogs with Ehrlichia canis infection
By Mylonakis, Mathios E et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2014·Companion Animal Clinic·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity in experimentally induced and naturally occurring canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne infection, was studied to see if they showed signs of pancreatitis, which can cause vomiting and abdominal pain. While none of the experimentally infected Beagles showed gastrointestinal issues, four out of twenty naturally infected dogs had elevated levels of a pancreatic enzyme, indicating mild pancreatitis, even though they didn't display any symptoms. This suggests that some dogs with ehrlichiosis might have underlying pancreatic issues that aren't obvious. If your dog has been diagnosed with ehrlichiosis and shows any signs of discomfort, it’s worth discussing these findings with your vet.
People also search for: dog ehrlichiosis symptoms · pancreatitis in dogs treatment · why is my dog vomiting after tick bite
Abstract
Ehrlichia canis infection causes multisystemic disease in dogs (canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, CME) which is associated with variable morbidity and mortality. Atypical clinical manifestations, including gastrointestinal signs, may occasionally occur in CME and approximately 10-15% of dogs are presented with historical or clinical evidence of vomiting, diarrhea, and/or abdominal discomfort. The objective of this study was to investigate if there are any alterations in serum canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI) in dogs with experimentally induced or naturally occurring monocytic ehrlichiosis. Serum samples from 10 Beagle dogs experimentally infected with E. canis and two healthy uninfected Beagles were serially examined; samples from 20 naturally infected dogs (10 with non-myelosuppressive [NME] and 10 with myelosuppressive [ME] ehrlichiosis) were also examined at a given point in time (cross-sectional sampling). None of the experimentally infected Beagles showed gastrointestinal signs or increased cPLI concentrations prior to or following the artificial infection. Three naturally infected dogs with NME and one with ME demonstrated serum cPLI concentrations in the diagnostic range for pancreatitis (>400 μg/L) without showing gastrointestinal signs. The results of the present study indicated that 4/20 (20%) of dogs naturally infected with E. canis demonstrated increased serum cPLI concentrations consistent with mild and clinically inapparent pancreatitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24530039/