Piroplasmosis in dogs: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Consequences of piroplasmosis in dogs after treatment and active rehabilitation Piroplasmosis in dogs consequences after treatment

The main consequences may be:

• damage to the central nervous system;
• heart pathologies;
• partial anemia as a result of red blood cell deficiency;
• dysfunction of the kidneys and liver.

Treatment of piroplasmosis in dogs in the early stages makes it possible to obtain a positive prognosis for the rapid restoration of the functions of the animal’s organs. A late stage of treatment can lead to irreversible consequences, and its absence can lead to inevitable death.

What are the complications?

It does not go away without a trace and any complications associated with it cause irreparable harm to the dog’s health.

Complications of piroplasmosis can be caused not only by the disease itself, but also by its treatment.

Treatment of the disease involves the use of highly toxic medications, the effects of which negatively affect the dog’s body as a whole.

Rehabilitation after treatment

The rehabilitation period for a dog after piroplasmosis is long and extremely important for the functioning of its body. Despite the fact that the animal looks healthy and does not show external signs of illness, it requires maximum attention:

1. Limit physical activity.
2. Follow a nutritional diet.
3. Use drugs that reduce general intoxication (vitamin B, saline solutions, cardiac drugs).
4. Use restorative medications (folic acid, gamavit, fenuls and drugs aimed at normalizing liver function).

The dosage of medications and the duration of their administration depend on the severity of the disease.

Medicines are prescribed only by the attending physician. Do not self-medicate - this can lead to irreparable consequences.

Liver restoration

A dog's liver affected by piroplasmosis requires support and treatment. Only in this case is it capable of complete regeneration (restoration). Your four-legged friend may be prescribed:

1. Antibiotics.
2. Analgesic choleretic, diuretics, multivitamins.
3. Drug for the treatment of the liver: Karsil, Essentiale Forte and others.
4. Choleretic and diuretic drugs.
5. Multivitamins.
6. Homeopathic treatment.
7. Special diet.

During the period of liver recovery, the dog should lead a calm lifestyle and not overwork and take medications. Nutrition during this period should be of the highest quality and balanced. They are in the intensive care category.

Dog food

And the diet after piroplasmosis is prescribed to the dog by the attending physician. Properly selected, it can help in the final victory over this terrible disease.

The main diet for a dog at this time is the same as during illness. In addition, it is necessary to remember the basic rules of rehabilitation feeding and care:

1. Reduce food portions by half and increase the frequency of meals.
2. You can feed natural or dry food for sick animals (as prescribed by a veterinarian).
3. Food must be fresh, of high quality, contain antioxidants and have high energy value.
4. Liquid food (diuretic) is preferred, which will stimulate the elimination of toxins.
5. Food should be warm and varied.
6. Feeding raw foods is excluded.
7. It is recommended to soak dry food.
8. Requires drinking plenty of fluids.

10.10.2016 by Eugene

All dog breeders are concerned about the health of their pets, so they simply need to know about seasonal diseases of dogs. This article will discuss one of them, called “pyroplasmosis”. What are the features of this disease? How do they manifest themselves in dogs? Can there be consequences even after treating the animal?

Piroplasmosis in dogs and its features

The disease “pyroplasmosis”, which infects most dogs, is so named because of its causative agent - the microorganism Piroplasma (Babesia family). It is considered seasonal due to the fact that the peak of exacerbation of the disease occurs in the spring (first attack) and autumn (second attack). The consequences for dogs that do not receive proper timely treatment are most often disastrous - death.

Piroplasmosis has its own incubation period: from the moment the microorganism enters the blood of dogs until the clear primary symptoms of the described disease appear. Its duration can range from two days to three weeks. This time difference depends on several main factors:

• age of the animal;
• general condition of the body (for example, weakened immune system).

Thus, in young dogs with a weak immune system, the symptomatic consequences of infection with piroplasmosis after a tick bite appear very quickly - during the first few days.

In addition, various complications are possible, which can be caused not only by the course of the disease, but also by the use of potent medications that were used during the treatment process.

Symptoms of piroplasmosis in dogs

After an animal has been bitten by a tick, it can be expected to show symptoms of piroplasmosis. These include:

• general weakness and lethargy;
• increased body temperature - up to 40 degrees;
• red-brown urine due to the presence of blood in it;
• yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes;
• food aversion, manifested by a gag reflex;
• diarrhea;
• convulsions due to heart failure.

Piroplasmosis and its diagnosis in animals

A qualified veterinarian diagnoses piroplasmosis in dogs using a comprehensive method. It is as follows:

1. Clinical examination (history of the disease and symptoms of its development, the presence of ticks or wounds from their bites on the animal’s body).
2. Laboratory tests (blood, urine).

Conducting a laboratory test in case of piroplasmosis is mandatory, since during examination it is possible that neither a tick nor traces of its bite will be found.

How is piroplasmosis treated in dogs?

Piroplasmosis in animals should be treated immediately in a comprehensive manner, that is, in several directions:

1. Destroy the causative microorganism.
2. Remove the consequences of intoxication of the body.
3. Maintain the immune system at a sufficient level.

If the case is extremely severe, you will have to use IVs, and in some of them, blood transfusions. If treatment is started in a timely manner, signs of recovery will be noticeable within a few days, otherwise it may take several weeks (but no one is ready to guarantee positive results).

Consequences of piroplasmosis in dogs

As already mentioned, the consequences of piroplasmosis suffered by a dog may not always be positive. They can also manifest themselves for two reasons:

Experts have prepared an information table that contains data on the consequences of the development and treatment of piroplasmosis in dogs.

As you can see, the consequences in dogs from the treatment of piroplasmosis completely depend on the timely initiation of the fight against the disease and the correctly selected set of medications. But we should not forget, no matter how the disease progresses (mild or severe), the complex of use of all prescribed drugs must be complete. You should not hope that the animal will recover on its own. If you have piroplasmosis, you cannot do without the help of a qualified veterinarian. The result of delaying contacting a doctor is inevitable death.

After treatment, it will take some time for the body to recover. To do this, you need to give the recovered dog vitamin complexes and adequate food for some time.

Preventive actions

Bos, suffered from piroplasmosis last year

Hello, friends, at your request, I am telling you about the treatment of piroplasmosis in dogs, now this topic is relevant, as the weather has warmed up and ticks have become more active.

Let me make a reservation right away that I do not encourage you to self-medicate; if your dog grabs a tick and then gets sick with piroplasmosis, then of course it is better to contact a veterinarian.

Why then am I writing this article? To share my experience, perhaps my colleague will read it, perhaps it will help people who, for certain reasons, cannot provide veterinary care to their animals.

Also, in one of the treatment regimens for piroplasmosis in dogs, I use azidine, which has earned a bad reputation, although it works well, I want to say a few words in its defense.

I have already written several articles about mites (pyroplasmosis), describing the symptoms, so we will not dwell on them, but will get straight to the point.

Treatment regimen for piroplasmosis in dogs

First way. In mild cases, when the dog’s condition is satisfactory. There is slight weakness, decreased appetite, and an increase in temperature by a degree. In general, the animal’s condition can be described as if it was tired, or as they say, the dog was sad.

In such cases, I use dexamethasone at a dose of 2-4 mg (0.5-1 ml) depending on the size of the dog. For example, if a dog weighs 15 kg, then it needs to be administered 0.5 ml of dexamethasone subcutaneously. Dexamethasone helps reduce fever and also prevents the development of an allergy to azidine, which sometimes occurs.

In addition, dexamethasone has a number of positive effects, and it is not harmless, but in a small dose its side effects do not appear.

Then I inject catozal or its analogue, at a dose of 0.5-1 ml subcutaneously once a day, 2-3 days in a row. It has a positive effect on metabolic processes in the body and is a source of vitamin B 12.

The main drug for the fight against piroplasmosis is azidine. Usually the bottle contains 0.24 g of dry matter (there are 2.4 g packages, don’t get confused, there are sad examples).

If it is used according to the instructions, then the dog does often experience serious complications. Vomiting, drooling, chills and other signs of intoxication may appear. I use azidine in small doses, but more often than the manufacturer recommends.

I add 4 ml of water for injection to a 0.24 g bottle, so in 1 ml of solution we get 60 mg of dry substance, not active, namely dry, which is important.

Then I administer the resulting solution at the rate of 2 mg per kg of animal weight once every 12-24 hours. If the dog has positive dynamics, then the interval is 12 hours; in case of a severe condition, the interval is a day. On average I do 2-4 such injections. For example, our virtual dog weighing 15 kg needs to be injected subcutaneously with 0.5 ml of the prepared solution, which will be 30 mg of the substance.

I have been using this dilution for more than 10 years, and so far there have been no complications with the drug. I had an allergic reaction several times, but this was before I started using dexamethasone in advance.

As a result, we inject the dog with the required amount of the drug, but fractionally, in small portions. In this way, it is possible to “gently” fight piroplasm; it does not die en masse, as happens with shock doses, and does not destroy red blood cells in large quantities.

It is also permissible to slightly overestimate the administered dose, so it is not necessary to know the exact weight of the animal. It is difficult to weigh a dog in the field; sometimes you have to rely on your eye.

Yes, we may need to do more manipulations (injections), but we cause less harm to the body.

Second way. In severe form, when the dog completely refuses food; feels very thirsty or, on the contrary, refuses to drink; we observe an unsteady gait or the dog does not get up; the urine has become dark, possibly mixed with blood; vomiting, diarrhea or other signs of illness appeared.

In complicated cases, I follow the treatment regimen for piroplasmosis in dogs as described above, but I also add other drugs.

I connect and introduce solutions: sodium chloride, ringera, glucose 5%, reamberin. The total daily dose of solutions is 20-50 ml per kg, except for Reamberin (I administer it 2-5 ml per kg per day).

The daily dose is divided into two administrations. Our 15 kg dog needs 150-400 ml at a time. Sometimes I use diuretics (furosemide) to increase diuresis in order to speed up the elimination of toxins.

In case of complications with a bacterial infection, I add antibiotics, usually ceftriaxone at a dose of 20-50 mg per kg per day, it can be administered either intravenously or intramuscularly. I don't use antibiotics unless necessary.

In mild forms of the disease, treatment of piroplasmosis in dogs takes 2-3 days; in complicated forms, it takes 5-7 days.

After recovery

Friends, if a dog starts running and jumping after treatment, this does not mean that it has recovered. Piroplasmosis is very insidious, it affects almost all organs and tissues in the body, so its consequences can manifest themselves for a long time.

After the acute phase has been overcome, when the dog supposedly feels as good as it was before the illness, you need to follow a diet for several weeks and limit physical activity. Monitor her like a sick child, protect her from overheating and hypothermia.

Piroplasmosis weakens the body, including the immune system, so the dog can catch a viral infection, which often happens.

In addition to good care and proper feeding, you can give your dog B vitamins, B6, B12 and B9 (folic acid) are especially important. The listed vitamins are necessary for the restoration of red blood cells that were destroyed during illness.

In practice, I do not use hepatoprotectors, drugs for restoring intestinal microflora, antivirals and other miracle drugs; in 99% of cases these are drugs with unproven effectiveness, in other words, dummies.

Of course, each doctor uses his own method for treating piroplasmosis in dogs, and my regimen can be supplemented or changed. I wrote an article with the goal of sharing my experience, especially with the use of azidine, which has unfairly earned a bad reputation among my colleagues and dog lovers.

If you need advice, conditions and contacts.

With the passing of cold weather, most dog owners are faced with a lot of problems associated with diseases transmitted through tick bites. Along with a bite, pathogens of a dangerous disease called piroplasmosis enter the wound on your pet’s body. This is a seasonal disease that can be caused by ixodid ticks.

An animal can catch the disease anywhere, and the virus is extremely dangerous for dogs of all breeds, regardless of their age. Complications from this disease are quite serious, so all dog owners should take preventive measures.

How dangerous is piroplasmosis?

Piroplasmosis in dogs is an extremely complex disease, and identifying the symptoms is quite problematic. Despite the fact that the disease often ends in death for the animal, treatment can still be effective. To do this, you need to contact a veterinarian in a timely manner. Unfortunately, even in cases of surgical medical intervention, dogs can experience complications that will last a lifetime.

The whole danger of piroplasmosis lies in the fact that the disease destroys red blood cells. Moreover, a dog can become infected from the spring until the onset of cold weather. True, there are cases where the disease was diagnosed in dogs in winter. In this case, piroplasmosis can manifest itself only if there is an error in the process of blood transfusion to an animal or during an exacerbation of the chronic form of the disease.

Methods of infecting an animal

The main danger is not the tick itself, but the pathogen that may be present in its saliva. A tick bite, in itself, does not pose a great danger to the animal. Of course, not every tick is a carrier of piroplasmosis, and, moreover, even if an infected tick bites your dog, the risk that it will get sick is not one hundred percent.

Despite all of the above, after a tick has been removed from a dog, you should definitely carefully monitor its behavior for several days. If the first signs of piroplasmosis are noticed, you should contact a veterinarian as soon as possible to prescribe treatment.

A dog can become infected with piroplasmosis in the following ways:

1. After a tick bite that is a carrier of pathogenic piroplasms.
2. During medical procedures, during blood transfusion or surgery through instruments stained with the blood of infected animals.
3. During mechanical damage to the skin as a result of fighting infected dogs.

The first signs of the disease

The incubation period of piroplasmosis can take from one to three weeks from the moment the pathogen enters the animal’s blood. In some cases, symptoms appear as early as the next day after infection. Most often, such a rapid development of the disease occurs when the pathogen enters the body through a blood transfusion. The age of the dog, the form of the disease and the general state of the immune system - all this affects the speed of spread of the pathogen in the body.

Piroplasmosis in dogs can occur in both acute and chronic forms. The worst sufferers of the disease are purebred dogs and puppies.

Often dog owners simply do not notice the symptoms or associate them with the heat. With piroplasmosis, every minute can cost the animal its life.

Symptoms of piroplasmosis may be as follows:

1. The dog refuses his favorite treats, eats little, but drinks a lot of liquids.
2. Physical activity drops sharply. The pet looks tired, apathetic and does not respond to external stimuli.
3. The dog's skin takes on a yellowish tint.
4. There are breathing problems.
5. Blood clots appear in the animal's stool, and the dog often vomits.
6. Body temperature rises up to 41 degrees during the acute stage of the disease.

One of the characteristic signs of the disease is the fact that the animal’s urine changes color. Due to the ingress of blood, it becomes reddish in color. The development of the disease leads to disruption of the functioning of all organs of the dog.

What can piroplasmosis lead to?

The consequences of piroplasmosis depend largely on the quality of treatment and the timeliness of its implementation. The sooner you contact the veterinarian, the greater the chance that your dog will be healthy.

Some possible consequences of piroplasmosis:

• due to massive destruction of red blood cells, anemia may begin;
• when hemoglobin breaks down, the renal channels become clogged, resulting in renal failure;
• against the background of anemia and severe stress on the heart, breathing is impaired;
• intoxication of the body can lead to the development of acute toxic hepatitis;
• As a result of hypoxic damage to the brain, a convulsive syndrome may begin.

Treatment of piroplasmosis

Only a veterinarian can draw up a treatment plan for an animal; you should not try to save your pet from suffering on your own. The result of treatment for piroplasmosis depends on how quickly the owner responded and sought help from specialists.

Treatment drugs are highly toxic, so supporting the animal’s body with the use of nutritional, tonic and vitamin preparations is very important. The veterinarian prepares an individual diet for each animal.

When treating the disease, droppers are mandatory. With their help, the dog's body is cleansed of toxins. The dog’s recovery can take several months; during this time, you should not increase the animal’s physical activity.

Prevention of piroplasmosis

Today there are a sufficient number of ways to protect your pet from piroplasmosis, let’s look at some of them:

1. Specialized tick repellents. This method is effective and easy to perform. If you treat your dog's fur promptly and thoroughly, the risk of disease is reduced by 80-90 percent.
2. Vaccination against piroplasmosis. If you live in areas where cases of canine piroplasmosis are common, it is wise to use the vaccine.
3. Pills.
4. Pet clothing.

Try to keep an eye on the animal and be sure to inspect your pet's fur after each walk in places where ticks could potentially live. Prevention will help protect your pet.

If piroplasmosis is detected in dogs, the consequences after treatment of this disease can be unpleasant. Piroplasmosis is a disease that not only affects the animal’s body, but also leaves a risk of complications after treatment.

Piroplasmosis is caused by the microorganism Babesia that lives in the saliva of the tick. The incubation period ranges from several days to 3 weeks. Pedigree dogs and puppies are most seriously ill. The course of the disease is severe; only a few days may pass from the appearance of the first symptoms (weakness, drowsiness, refusal to eat) to the death of the animal. Usually, owners notice late symptoms when the dog vomits bile and its urine turns dark or red. If these symptoms appear, there is a high risk of not saving the animal.

What is the mechanism for the development of complications after piroplasmosis?

And also, trying to compensate for this condition, the heart and lungs begin to work actively. This is the first complication of piroplasmosis in dogs - the development of heart failure. After all, the heart works with double the load, but does not receive oxygen. The result is the death of some cardiomyocytes and heart rhythm disturbance.

The second common complication occurs due to poisoning of the body by the breakdown products of red blood cells, which leads to double the work of the liver for detoxification and also to the death of its cells. The result is liver failure.

The third most common and serious complication leading to the death of the animal is the development of renal failure. This happens due to the formation of blood clots from the remains of red blood cells that clog the kidney tubules. On top of this, anemia develops in the dog’s body, and the brain suffers due to oxygen starvation.

Consequences after treatment of the disease

Despite the severity of this disease, treatment for it is no less dangerous for the body and is accompanied by the appearance of any complications after it. Imidocarb and Diminazine are used to treat this disease.

When Imidocarb is used to treat piroplasmosis in dogs, neurological complications often occur. This is due to the negative effect of the drug on the conduction of nerve impulses.

Quite often, an allergic reaction develops after an injection, so before starting treatment, you need to give the dog an antihistamine. Diminazine is a hepatotoxic and neurotoxic drug. In other words, it worsens the functioning of an already suffering liver and increases brain damage.

Treatment of a dog after piroplasmosis includes maintenance therapy, which consists of:

• hepatoprotectors (necessarily plant-based);
• vitamins;
• Gamavita;
• saline solutions;
• heart medications.

Dialysis is used when kidney failure develops. Complete recovery of a dog after piroplasmosis is extremely rare due to the severity of damage to organs and systems. More often, she will need corrective therapy for life. Therefore, if a dog has suffered from piroplasmosis, then it needs careful care.