Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with Mycoplasma haemocanis anemia cured by doxycycline tracked
By Pitorri, Francesca et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2012·Carmichael Torrance Diagnostic Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Use of real-time quantitative PCR to document successful treatment of Mycoplasma haemocanis infection with doxycycline in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old Jack Russell Terrier was diagnosed with hemolytic anemia, a condition where the body destroys red blood cells, due to an infection with Mycoplasma haemocanis, four years after having its spleen removed. The vet used a special test to confirm the infection and then treated the dog with doxycycline, an antibiotic, until tests showed no signs of the infection. After treatment, the dog remained healthy and free of the infection for eight months. This case highlights that hemoplasmosis should be considered in dogs with anemia, especially those without a spleen, and that doxycycline is an effective treatment.
People also search for: dog hemolytic anemia treatment · Jack Russell Terrier Mycoplasma infection · doxycycline for dog infections
Abstract
An 8-year-old Jack Russell Terrier was diagnosed with hemolytic anemia caused by hemoplasmosis 4 years following splenectomy. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis was used initially to confirm infection with Mycoplasma haemocanis and subsequently to monitor and direct medical therapy. Doxycycline was administered beyond resolution of clinical signs until hemoplasma DNA could no longer be detected by qPCR. The dog remained clinically healthy and hemoplasma-negative 8 months following cessation of therapy. Canine hemoplasmosis should remain as a differential diagnosis for hemolytic anemia in dogs, particularly those that are splenectomized or immunocompromised, even in geographic regions where prevalence of infection is low. Prolonged doxycycline administration has been shown by qPCR to lead to sustained absence of detectable infection and should be considered as a first line treatment for canine hemoplasmosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23130935/