In addition to causing clinical disease, A. phagocytophilum may persistently infect dogs, causing a subclinical carrier state associated with positive serologic test results in a healthy dog. Many dogs we have worked with have responded wonderfully to our Antimicrobial formula. Anaplasma platys was first reported in the United States in 1978 and has since been recognized to have a worldwide distribution, being reported in many European, Asian, and South American countries.18 This agent is uniqueit is the only intracellular infectious agent described in people or animals to specifically infect platelets (Figure 4). There are no natural treatment options that are clinically effective or recommended. Canine anaplasmosis is caused by one of two gram-negative, obligate, intracellular bacterial agents, Anaplasma phagocytophilum or Anaplasma platys. A pet can sometimes experience a longer-term, less obvious version of the disease and suffer from chronic anaplasmosis that affects the pets overall health and quality of life. Since this tickborne illness can interfere with proper blood clotting typical symptoms can include any of the following: Usually, symptoms of Anaplasmosis will occur within 1-2 weeks of a tick bite. In: Greene CE, ed. Both types of anaplasmosis are likely spread by ticks and can occur worldwide. The organism typically causes acute clinical disease similar to Lyme disease, resulting in a suppurative polyarthritis. Antibiotic susceptibilities of Anaplasma (Ehrlichia) phagocytophilum strains from various geographic areas in the United States. Anaplasmosis Treatment In Dogs Anaplasmosis is efficiently treated with antibiotics. J Vet Intern Med 2007;21:626. J Clin Microbiol 1995;33(5):1098-1103. Ixodes ricinus is the primary vector in Europe. More importantly, ticks carry a variety of diseases that can be passed to both dogs and humans. Any dog testing positive for anaplasmosis should have their tick control and prevention measures re-evaluated. Grasp the tick close to the skin using tweezers or a device specifically designed for tick removal. There are no natural treatment options that are clinically effective or recommended. Larger dogs need larger medication doses. This can be accomplished by avoiding areas that have high tick populations and if this can't be done then a safer, chemical-free, repellent should be used. Therefore, after the tick is removed, you may submit the tick to these labs to know if it carries harmful diseases. Anaplasma platys is more common in Gulf Coast and southwestern states because the brown dog tick is more common in warmer climates. Experimental inoculation of dogs with a human isolate (Ny18) of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and demonstration of persistent infection following doxycycline therapy (abst). Natural Treatment for Anaplasmosis in Dogs We have used natural treatments quite successfully for tickborne illnesses. Egenvall A, Bjersdorff A, Lilliehk I, et al. As in many aspects of life, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.. During this time it would be beneficial to provide herbs such as echinacea or cat's claw that support immune function as found in our Antimicrobial formula. Clin Infect Dis 1998;27(6):1491-1496. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/anaplasmosis/, Lawrence, W. (April 2012). Infection with A. platys results in a cyclic thrombocytopenia. If a dog is diagnosed with anaplasmosis, strict tick control measures should be taken as this indicates there are infected ticks in the environment that could transmit the disease to humans. If an animal no longer produces antibodies to the organism, this may indicate that the organism has been cleared from the body. The first is avoiding exposure to ticks. Light microscopy. Anaplasmosisis considered a zoonotic pathogen. Inokuma H, Raoult D, Brouqui P. Detection of Ehrlichia platys DNA in brown dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineous) in Okinawa Island, Japan. Because many animals present with clinical signs of polyarthritis and possibly a history of tick exposure, clinical signs of canine anaplasmosis may be indistinguishable from those seen with Lyme disease. The cost of treatment for anaplasmosis in dogs varies, depending primarily on the size of your pet. The treatment for canine anaplasmosis is the same as that for infection with the closely related Ehrlichia speciesdoxycycline. Therefore, seropositivity alone does not indicate a causal relationship to the clinical disease. If symptoms do last longer and require treatment with Doxycycline symptoms improve rapidly. They tell us there were no symptoms, but a positive test came back during a yearly veterinarian examination and a course of Doxycycline has been recommended. Rodents are thought to be the reservoir for A. phagocytophilum while dogs are theorized to be the reservoir for A. platys. You can consider giving your pup some immunity-boosting herbs like cats claw and echinacea along with oregano, thyme, and other herbs known for their antimicrobial properties. The best ways to avoid anaplasmosis and other tick-borne diseases in dogs include: Year-round tick preventatives for all pets, Backyard management (e.g. Doxycycline is the treatment of choice for anaplasmosis, and all other tickborne rickettsial diseases. The optimal dose and length of therapy have not been firmly established, but an oral dosage of 5 to 10 mg/kg given twice a day for 30 days has been recommended.12,16 In most cases, clinical signs resolve rapidly. If there are no symptoms a complete blood count to check for abnormalities can be performed, if there are none then treatment should not be recommended with the animal monitored for anaplasmosis symptoms as always in the future. Reported signs include: A. platys infects the platelets and affect blood clotting. You will usually be able to notice an improvement in your canine companion within 1 to 2 days of starting treatment. High Levels of Protein in Dog Urine (Proteinuria in Dogs), Flea and Tick Prevention and Treatment for Dogs, Top 10 U.S. States Where Ticks are a Problem for Dogs and Cats, How to Keep Large Dogs Healthy at Every Life Stage, device specifically designed for tick removal, Less commonly: coughing, seizures, vomiting and diarrhea. A lesser form of anaplasmosis is caused byAnaplasma platysand is transmitted by the brown dog tick. Also, make sure you give your pet a thorough bath in a tub of water to wash away ticks from its body. Some common antibiotics used to treat Anaplasmosis include, Doxycycline, Minocycline, Tetracycline, and Chloramphenicol. Individuals are generally programmed to focus on "killing" organisms but we focus more (at least at first) on "building immunity" against invaders. Your veterinarian will begin by taking a full history of your dogs health and performing a physical examination. Alleman AR, Wamsley HL, Abbott J, et al. Therefore, signs of this form of anaplasmosis are related to the bodys inability to properly stop bleeding and include bruising and red splotches on the gums and belly as well as nosebleeds. Prevention of Anaplasmosis in Dogs. 1. This formula contains the immune boosting herbs echinacea and cats claw along with antimicrobial herbs such as thyme, goldenseal and oregano. While we can extrapolate how affected pets might feel, we are limited to what we can observe when describing what the symptoms of Anaplasmosis are in dogs. The reason we mention this is because many animals are able to fight off tickborne illness on their own. Santarm VA, Laposy CB, Farias MR. Ehrlichia platys-like inclusions and morulae in platelets of a cat (abst). In the United States, most disease outbreaks are seasonal and coincide with the emergence of tick vectors in spring and early summer (May and June) and then again in the fall (September). The normal, smaller, pink-staining platelet granules are also observed in the cytoplasm of the infected platelet (Wright's-Giemsa; 100X). It is recommended that you keep an eye on the animal to see how the symptoms improve. The Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine recommends treatment with the antibiotic doxycycline for at least two weeks. Can I prevent my dog from developing Anaplasmosis? Prophylactic treatment with doxycycline after a tick bite is not common practice in veterinary medicine. The best prevention includes stringent tick prevention. One of our concerns with the use of an antibiotic like Doxycycline is that this class of tetracycline antibiotics are known as broad spectrum, which means they are effective against a wide range of bacteria, including the beneficial bacteria that inhabit your dog and cats intestinal tract. Your veterinarian may recommend follow-up testing to confirm a diagnosis and blood work to help determine if your dog has an active infection that requires treatment. When the blood test shows the antibodies for the disease, it indicates that the pets immune system is responding to the infection. An intracytoplasmic Anaplasma phagocytophilum morula in a neutrophil (above center) in a buffy coat smear prepared from the peripheral blood of a dog. Exposure toAnaplasmacan be detected in your veterinary clinic using a special test kit. Larger dogs need larger medication doses. Anaplasmosis Treatment for Dogs As with other bacterial infections, anaplasmosis is treated with antibiotics. Dogs with anaplasmosis often have many of the same symptoms as those with Lyme disease, and infection with both agents (co-infection) is not uncommon. Treatment. We have had clients confirm this and we have experienced this with our own dogs, though we have sometimes provided our Antimicrobial formula. The most common hematologic abnormality noted in clinically affected dogs is a mild to severe thrombocytopenia, seen in more than 80% of acutely infected dogs.2,8,11 Additionally, many animals will initially have lymphopenia but later may develop a reactive lymphocytosis. An extended course of four weeks may be necessary for patients infected with Lyme disease at Many of our clients inform us that their dog is being treated for a tickborne illness after the fact. Many infected dogs are treated for two to four weeks (the longer course more often if It is suspected that transmission to susceptible mammalian hosts requires prolonged tick attachment and feeding of 24 hours or more.4, Clinical disease in dogs is most often associated with the acute, bacteremic phase of infection. Get practical pet health tips, articles, and insights from our veterinary community delivered weekly to your inbox. A natural treatment is recommended for a dog suffering from anaplasmosis if the situation is not life-threatening. Clinical disease is often mild in naturally infected dogs, but some animals may have clinical evidence of bleeding (epistaxis or petechiation), particularly during the initial bacteremic phase when platelet counts may be reduced to < 20,000 cells/l. Detection of granulocytic Ehrlichia species DNA by PCR in persistently infected dogs. Doxycycline, orally for 28 days and rarely via IV. However, direct transmission from animals to people or animal to animal is highly unlikely and, to our knowledge, has never been documented. It is important to remember that a dog diagnosed with one type of tick-borne disease may have other ones as well because of the shared vector. Anaplasmosis is treatable in dogs using any number of antibiotics including Chloramphenicol, Minocycline, Doxycycline, and Tetracycline. Most dogs show an improvement within 24- 48 hours after beginning the antibiotic treatment. Vet Rec 1998;143(15):412-417. This does not mean the animal has an active infection, just that antibodies are still present in the blood from exposure to the bacterial organism. Anaplasmosis is treatable in dogs using any number of antibiotics including Chloramphenicol, Minocycline, Doxycycline, and Tetracycline. You can consider including some beneficial herbs and supplements in its everyday diet to keep it protected against such infections. Find a skilled professional herbalist who can help you with the best herbal protocols and dosing for your dog. Dogs are by far the most common mammalian host, although rare reports of infections in cats, impalas, and sheep have been documented outside the United States.21,22. Pets who have a history of tick exposure, live in an endemic area, and have the appropriate signs are all considered at risk. Once bitten, a tick must stay attached for 24-48 hours to transmit the bacteria. Anaplasmosis in dogs can be treated with a course of antibiotics, with most symptoms improving within 24- 48 hours after beginning treatment. In most cases, symptoms improve rapidly. What are some ways that I can prevent my dog from contracting anaplasmosis? Dumler JS, Barbet AF, Bekker CP, et al. How Is Anaplasmosis Treated? Nucleic acid amplification is the most sensitive method for detecting organism DNA in the peripheral blood of an infected animal. How Is Anaplasmosis Treated? Clinical disease is often mild, but some dogs may develop bruising or bleeding (including nosebleeds), especially during the early stages of infection when platelet counts may be at their lowest. 3. Since the two organisms share the same tick vector, the diseases have a similar geographic distribution. From a dietary perspective, fresh raw whole foods are best. Though not always fatal, anaplasmosis should be diagnosed and treated on time to avoid any health risks. I recommend you add liver, eggs, oysters, spirulina, avocado and pomegranate juice to your dogs regular diet. After starting medication, dogs often start to feel better in 1-2 days, but require treatment for at least two weeks. Antibiotics can be used in a later stage when natural methods dont give the desired results. Chandrashekar R, Mainville C, Daniluk D, et al. The vet examines the pet and performs necessary tests to confirm the infection and suggest the right treatment method for a timely recovery. While anaplasmosis doesnt get the same attention as other tick-borne diseases such as Lyme and ehrlichiosis, it remains a significant disease of dogs and is being diagnosed with increased frequency across the United States. Anaplasmosis Treatment In Dogs Anaplasmosis is efficiently treated with antibiotics. However, it appears that many dogs that have antibodies to A. phagocytophilum display no evidence of clinical disease. Antibiotics should only be used if absolutely necessary. It is transmitted through bites of the deer tick (also known as the black-legged tick) and the Western black-legged tick. Anaplasmosis can infect multiple mammal species but is not directly transmittable between animals, including, but not limited to dogs, cats, horses, cows, sheep, goats and humans. An intracytoplasmic Dhle body is seen in the neutrophil in the upper left corner (Wright's-Giemsa; 100X). Treatment. 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