Canine babesiosis is a disease that can be serious if not discovered in time, including the death of the animal.
Also known as pyroplasmosis, the disease is caused by a protozoa called Babesia canis, this protozoa is a hematozoo, that is, it reproduces in the bloodstream and feeds on the blood components of the animal, especially red blood cells.
- This protozoa can be found all over the world and its most common form of transmission is Rhipicephalus sanguineus (a parasite you see in the picture).
- Better known as the dog’s brown or red tick.
To read everything you need to know about babesiosis or canine pyroplasmosis, continue here at Animal Expert.
Canine babesiosis or pyroplasmosis is a very important problem, as it often causes the death of the dog and is directly related to the presence of ticks in the animal and in the environment.Because this protozoa infects red blood cells, which are red blood cells, it is also known as bruising.
Protozoa transmit pyroplasmosis through the brown tick, which is the tick that most often infects dogs, called Rhipicephalus sanguineus.Ticks are not commonly found in cats, but since protozoa has several species, there is Babesia canis, which infects dogs, Babesia felis and Babesia cati, which is the specific hematozoo responsible for infection of cats by the same tick.
Canine babesiosis can be confused with tick disease because protozoa is transmitted through a tick.Therefore, for more information on tick disease in dogs: symptoms and treatment, see this other Animal Expert article.
Ticks are the most important transmission factor of canine babesiosis, hence the importance of fighting them.
Ticks are arthropods of the order of mites, ectoposites that feed on blood and are responsible for the transmission of various diseases to dogs, cats, horses, oxen, several other mammals and even humans; they are beings sensitive to light, so they prefer darkness.environments where they can be hidden, for this reason, usually stay with dogs in hard-to-reach places, such as between fingers, armpits and ears, as they are dimly lit and warm environments, perfect for feeding and breeding.ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) are able to lay 2000 to 3000 eggs per day, but do not lay their eggs directly on the host, during the night they descend from the dog and lay their eggs on the walk or environment in which the dog has access..When eggs hatch into larvae and become nynphas, they return to the host dog until they become adults and begin the cycle again.
For more information about other diseases that ticks can transmit, see this Animal Expert article.
The transmission of Babesia canis, the hematozoid, occurs when an infected tick bites a healthy animal, to feed on blood, the tick injects saliva into the host dog, since this saliva has anticoagulant properties that facilitate the feeding of the tick in the However, this finally inoculates the bruises that cause pyroplasmosis in the bloodstream of the dog.
Upon entering the animal’s bloodstream, the protozoa enters the red blood cells (red blood cells), feeding on its nutrients and reproducing within these cells, until the amount of protozoa within the cell becomes so large that the cell breaks down, releasing even more.protozoa in the bloodstream that enter other cells that enter other cells.That’s why one of the most important symptoms of canine babesiosis occurs and we’ll talk about below.
Clinical signs or symptoms will depend on the degree of infestation and the course of the disease.Once a dog is infected, the disease can take months to appear, as the parasite may remain in a dormant state where it expects the best chance indicated by the decreased immunity of the dog, that is, a dog may be infected with the protozoa of pyroplasmosis.However, without any sign of the disease, when its immunity falls, it manifests the disease.
As mentioned above, this protozoan parasitizes red blood cells, causing, therefore, one of the most important symptoms, which is anemia. Other symptoms of canine babesiosis can be:
However, some of the first symptoms that indicate infection, such as fever and depression, can go unnoticed by the guardians and when the guardian realizes that the animal no longer interacts (prostration) and stops eating, he takes it to the veterinarian and sees the disease., anemia is usually already in an advanced stage, which makes it difficult to treat the prognosis, so it is necessary to always be attentive to any of these signs, especially if you have found a tick in your pet or even when walking through the walls or patio of your home recently.
Pyroplasmosis or babesiosis can still occur in 3 different forms or 3 phases, depending on the degree of progression of the disease.
It is also important to note that because it is a systemic disease, that is, it affects all irrigations and blood vessels of the body, clinical complications can be observed in other organs of the body such as the liver, spleen, kidneys, brain.and heart.
The correct diagnosis of canine babesiosis should be made by a competent veterinarian, as only he has sufficient technical and scientific knowledge to perform anamnesis by obtaining the patient’s detailed history.
Once the veterinarian performs the physical exam, he or she may order important additional tests that will help close the diagnosis and confirm suspicion, which may include:
It is important that the diagnosis is confirmed as soon as possible and that the guardian does not take too long to perform the tests requested by the veterinarian, since the start of treatment and the life of your pet depend on this.
After confirmation of the suspected and correct conclusion of the diagnosis by the veterinarian, he will check the dog’s prognosis, establishing the therapy to follow.
If the prognosis is good, the veterinarian will prescribe the necessary veterinary medicines and soon the dog will be able to continue treatment at home, under the care of the guardian.
In the most severe cases of the disease, however, it is necessary to hospitalize the dog for a tube feeding and even a blood transfusion in case of severe anemia.
Do not attempt home treatments, as this is a serious condition that can worsen and cause your puppy to die if not treated properly by a veterinarian.
Knowing that it is a tick-borne disease, the best way to prevent pyroplasmosis is to keep our dogs always free of ticks and other parasites.
There are several pouring or anti-chip pipes in the pet market, which also prevent and protect against ticks, and should be applied to our dogs once a month, as indicated by the product.
The environment in which the animal lives must also be permanently sanitized, and the guardian can make preventive use of environmentally specific pest control agents or even a popular technique known as a fire broom, a technique used on large farms to dewomitate a large number of posts in which animals live, and has finally been adapted by some people who have very large plots where the total elimination of ticks is has become a challenge.
The fire broom is nothing more than a flamethrower, where a torch is connected to a gas cylinder.The fire continues in the yard where the animals sleep and stay, and on the walls, as ticks can reach the top of the walls and walls.Don’t try to do this alone at home, without the help of a tutor or someone who understands the topic.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis, we suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read articles similar to Babesiosis canina (piroplasmosis) – What you need to know !, we recommend that you visit our Infectious Diseases section.