Hemobartonella Canis
Hemobartonella canis, once considered a protozoan disease, has been identified as bacterial. The bacterium is a parasite of red blood cells. Though common in men and dogs it is rarely diagnosed since most recover from an attack without showing any symptoms. Hemobartonella is thought to be contracted from ticks or by eating undercooked meat and it can cause anemia. It is diagnosed at times in dogs that have had their spleens removed.
For these dogs, blood transfusions and broad-spectrum antibiotics can be used effectively. The disease is transmitted by ticks and sometimes fleas. The disease directly affects the red blood cells in dogs as well as in cats. The disease in cats is known as feline hemobartonella. You may have a look at the following information on the disease hemobartonella can is. Hemobartonella Canis Information
- The disease in dogs is caused by Mycoplasma haemocanis or Haemobartonella can is. The Mycoplasma hemocyanin is not bacteria rather they are the small living germs on the earth. They are so named as these germs are related to the red blood cells.
- Ticks and fleas are mainly responsible for spreading germs. They feed on the blood of the affected animals and the germs get spread to the other animal when the tick sits on the animal to feed on the blood. The disease can also spread with a blood transfusion from the affected animal to other animals. Though no proper evidence has been found the infection can also be transmitted by the mother dog to its puppies through transplacental transmission.
- The disease is mainly common in dogs that have a suppressed immune system like those suffering from cancer and taking chemotherapy, undergoing splenectomy or removal of the spleen, or being infected with other parasites or organisms like Ehrlichia.
- A dog without a spleen is more vulnerable to the disease than any ordinary dog having a spleen. The spleen is responsible for filtering the red blood cells and destroying the RBC cells that are partially or completely damaged. The dogs having no spleen have a very high count of damaged red blood cells causing the disease called Haemobartonella can is. The mycoplasma remains in the red blood cells of the affected dogs.
- The symptoms of an affected dog would be showing are loss of appetite, suffering from depression, loss of weight, and very high fever. In severe cases, death may also occur. According to a recent report, a chronic case of the disease has rather shown the dog to be suffering from an increase in appetite and little weakness.
- Many times it has been noticed that dogs mainly suffer from many other diseases along with the hemobartonella can is. The ticks that spread the disease are also the carrier of other germs like ehrlichiosis and babesiosis that are borne by the ticks along with the hemobartonella and all the diseases are transmitted to the victim animals. As a result, you will find that the dog experiencing hemobartonella canis also suffer from other diseases that are spread by the ticks.
You are recommended to take your pet to a good vet clinic for effective treatment of the disease.
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