Acute Bilateral Proptosis - A Clinical Manifestation of Anaplasmosis in a Calf

A female crossbred calf was reported with history of progressive weakness, consistent protrusion of eyeball, pale mucous membrane, anorexia, high fever, tachycardia and laboured breathing. Analysis of blood revealed severe anaemia, leucocytopenia, marked poikilocytosis, anisocytosis of RBCs and condensed dot forms of Anaplasma marginale at RBC. The animal was treated with Oxytetracycline 25 mg/kg b. wt. slow I/V daily for 5 days. Ascorbic acid 4ml I/V for 5 consecutive days and Methylcobalamin 3 ml I/M for 5 alternate days. Clinical signs started to subside three days post treatment. Complete recovery from parasitemia and symptoms was achieved by four weeks post treatment however animal succumbed to death due to immunosuppression.