Diagnosis and treatment of Ehrlichiosis in a Pug dog

Abstract

In addition to damaging the skin and causing inflammatory reactions and anemia, dog tick infestations are vectors for blood parasites such as Ehrlichia spp., known as Ehrlichiosis. This article reports the case of a five-year-old female Pug dog whose body was covered with ticks. The clinical examination found tick infestation on the face, ears, back, abdomen, legs, and interdigital areas. Supporting examinations included a complete blood count (CBC), buffy coat smear, and a test kit. CBC examination showed that the dog had leukocytosis, neutrophilia, hypochromic microcytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. A buffy coat smear examination showed the presence of Ehrlichia morulae in the cytoplasm of the dog's monocytes, and the test kit results were positive for Ehrlichia antibodies; therefore, the dog was diagnosed with Ehrlichiosis. Treatment is done by administering Doxycycline, Intervetta Dr. Choice Ferro-B, and Fu Fang Ejiao Jiang orally for 21 days. After treatment, hematological parameters in leukocytes, neutrophils, erythrocytes, and platelets returned to normal ranges.