Babesiosis in dogs, is also known as canine malaria. It is caused by blood parasites that are transmitted by ticks. Untreated, this disease is usually fatal for the dog. Quick staining, known as modified Pappenheim staining, reliably diagnoses babesiosis in dogs.
If babesiosis is suspected, a blood test should be performed in addition to the physical examination. By means of this, the blood parasites can be detected. There are various methods of detection (microscopic, PCR, antibody detection), which vary in complexity and significance.
Directly on site in the veterinary practice, the modified staining according to Pappenheim can be carried out in only a few minutes with the ready-to-use quick staining set Hemafix® .
A fast and reliable diagnosis is essential for the dog to be able to start treatment in time. The diseased dog usually receives an injected medication. It is important that the treatment is carried out as soon as possible to prevent negative consequences of babesiosis in the dog. Unfortunately, babesiosis treatment does not always achieve that all parasites are killed. If the animal has already lost a lot of red blood cells, a blood transfusion may become necessary.
Babesia are small, single-celled parasites. Various species are distinguished, but not all of them occur in Germany. The most important species in dogs are Babesia canis and Babesia gibsoni. Since Babesia belong to the family of piroplasms, the disease is also called piroplasmosis.
Babesia multiply in the red blood cells (erythrocytes) of mammals, thereby destroying them and disrupting oxygen transport in the body. The parasites use meadow ticks as vectors (vectors) to pass from mammal to mammal.
The vector of babesiosis is the tick v. a. reticulatus. Originally, piroplasmosis of the dog was a pure travel disease. The pathogen itself did not occur in Germany. An increased import of dogs from abroad and the increasing travel within Europe have brought Babesia to Germany. In addition, climate change favors the growth of tick populations or allows tick species to become native that were previously absent or scarcely present in Germany. Ticks prefer moist biotopes such as meadows, forest edges or the vicinity of bodies of water. They appear particularly strongly in spring and autumn. During this time, dogs can easily catch ticks when roaming through forests and meadows. After an infected tick has attached itself, it takes about 12-48 hours for it to transmit babesiosis to the dog. This is due to the fact that the reproductive forms of the babesia are formed in the tick only from the beginning of the sucking act. If a tick should change the host during the sucking act, the transmission can also be faster.
Depending on the respective tick species, the symptoms of babesiosis differ. If the disease is not recognized, secondary damage occurs in various organs, such as the kidneys or liver. One to three weeks after infection, the dogs suddenly get a high fever, are dull and listless. They often no longer eat. The mucous membranes in the mouth and eyes become pale and the urine turns reddish or brownish. Over time, the mucous membranes may turn yellowish because the destruction of red blood cells releases hemoglobin, which is broken down by a yellow intermediate (bilirubin).
In severe courses and severe disintegration of red blood cells, the dog may go into shock or kidney failure may occur. In the latter case, the dog passes little or no urine, but sometimes suddenly passes a lot. The urine is discolored brown from the blood pigment. If pulmonary edema occurs, i.e., if fluid has collected in the lungs, the dogs show increased breathing, coughing and possibly also bloody nasal discharge. If the nervous system is affected, epileptic seizures, paralysis and movement disorders may occur.
Depending on the type of babesia, age of the dog, previous illnesses, etc., the above symptoms may occur, but do not have to. If it is an adult, healthy dog, it will usually suffer less from the parasites than particularly young or old animals, which may already have pre-existing conditions. The latter can die very quickly from a babesiosis infection. Dogs with chronic babesiosis are often only noticed by changes in the blood or show repeated fever attacks, are weak and emaciated.
There is preventive vaccination against some species of babesia. The protection is not absolute, but at least provides some additional safety and alleviates symptoms if the dog becomes infected anyway. Since the parasite relies on ticks as carriers, a good tick prophylaxis is also a protection against babesiosis. There are various preparations as spot-on, collar or in tablet form that kill ticks and also keep them away. After the walk, the dog should be checked for ticks and these should be removed if necessary.
According to current knowledge, babesiosis in dogs is not transmissible to humans.
