Multisystemic effects of canine babesiosis and management of critical cases

The present study was conducted on 102 naturally occurring cases of Babesiosis, caused by Babesia gibsoni, in dogs at Nandini Veterinary Hospital in a comprehensive manner to study multisystemic effects of the disease and to develop a protocol for the management of critical cases. Diagnosis of basesiosis was confirmed by cytological examination of peripheral blood smears made from ear tips. The disease was detected in as many as 14 breeds of dogs. The naturally occurring cases of babesiosis were manifested by wide variety of clinical signs (anorexia; vomiting; subnormal, normal or increased basal body temperature; emaciation/weight loss; melena; constipation/diarrhoea; tachycardia/arrhythmia; tachypnoea/dyspnoea; haemorrhages (epistaxis); pale/congested/yellow mucus membranes; nervous deficit; ascites/edema; circling/peresis/ataxia/dullness/depression; increased salivation; splenomegaly and/or hepatomegaly to death) with a mean clinical score of 9.2±0.34 (range 5 to 16) and case fatality rate of 9.7%. Pyrexia was inconsistent, haemoglobinuria was not seen in any case and jaundice was observed in 5 cases only. Haemoglobin varied from <3.0 to 16.4 g/dl. Severely ill and critical cases (hypothermic, dehydrated, septicemic and severely anaemic) were managed with 80.0 % success with fluid therapy (polymer from degraded gelatin/dextrose saline/dextrose); babesicidals (diminazine aceturate, clindamycin) were managed with 80.0 % success with fluid therapy (polymer from degraded gelatin/dextrose saline/dextrose); babesicidals (diminazine aceturate, clindamycin), steroids (prednesolone); haematinics (iron injections, pomegranate juice and vitamin B- complex); anti-emetics (metoclopramide); hepatostimulants (silymarin); and anabolics and bone marrow stimulants (nandrolone, stanozolol). It appears that liberal oral administration of pomegranate juice helped to improve haemoglobin and thus mucus membrane colour. It seems a foregone conclusion that no symptom alone in babesiosis is specific and pathognomonic but the physical findings which generated the highest index of suspicion for babesiosis included erratic fever, weight loss, depression, pale mucosa, splenomegaly alone or in combination. If a clinical score is computed, keeping all clinical variants in mind, cure rate may be increased even in field conditions.