Piroplasmosis is a disease caused by microorganisms of the Babesia genus, carried by ixodid ticks. When bitten, the parasite gets inside and causes serious illness. Dogs suffer from pyroplasmosis, and without proper treatment, everything can be fatal.
How to recognize piroplasmosis
Caring owners treat their pets from tick bites and regularly examine them after walks and field trips, but even these measures are not able to one hundred percent protect the dog from infection. The tick can bite the animal and fall off, so that no traces will be noticeable on the body, but the pathogen will enter the dog's body.
The largest number of sick animals occurs in spring and autumn, when ticks are most active.
Symptoms usually appear two to three days after the infection has occurred. The sick animal becomes lethargic, eats little or refuses food altogether. The temperature rises to 40-41 ° C, the mucous membrane of the mouth and eyes turns yellow. If you do not start treatment during this period, then the temperature drops to 35-36 ° C, and blood appears in the urine. The hind limbs of the animal weaken, the gait becomes noticeably difficult, paralysis is possible. Most often, piroplasmosis ends in death.
Sometimes there are chronic cases of piroplasmosis. Most often, the disease in this form occurs in animals that have already undergone this infection and managed to survive without treatment.
Treatment of piroplasmosis
Pyroplasmosis cannot be cured on its own. At the first suspicion of a disease, when the animal has just become lethargic and has refused food, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian. The veterinarian examines the animal, measures its temperature, asks the owner about the mites found. For analysis, urine is taken, and in some cases - and blood. After that, a verdict is issued. First of all, the dog is prescribed drugs that destroy Babesia - "Veriben", "Azidin", "Imidosan", "Berenil", "Piro-stop" and other drugs that act in a similar way. After the destruction of the parasites and the erythrocytes affected by them, further treatment is aimed at restoring the animal's body. Dogs are injected with drugs that support the functioning of the liver and kidneys, heart drugs, vitamins. To prevent complications, plasmapheresis or hemosorption has recently been used, which allow you to cleanse the blood of toxins, bypassing the kidneys and liver. Recovery occurs two to three weeks after starting treatment.
There are prophylactic vaccines "Nobivak Pro" and "Pirodog" containing the antigen of piroplasmas. However, using these vaccines will not protect your dog from getting sick. Vaccination will increase the chances of a sick animal recovering from an infected tick bite.
