Open AccessPost‐Therapy Antibody Titers in Dogs With Ehrlichiosis: Follow‐Up Study on 68 Patients Treated Primarily With Tetracycline and/or Doxycycline
Author(s) -
Bartsch Robert C.,
Greene Russell T.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1996.tb02061.x
Subject(s) - medicine , doxycycline , asymptomatic , serology , titer , antibody titer , ehrlichiosis , subclinical infection , tetracycline , antibody , gastroenterology , surgery , immunology , virology , antibiotics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , tick
The clinical and serological responses to therapy were evaluated for at least 1 year in 68 dogs with antibody titers positive for Ehrlichia cam's. Treatments were of variable periods with primarily tetracycline hydrochloride and/or doxycycline. Sixteen dogs had initial titers of 1:20 and, at the end of the year, were asymptomatic, no longer receiving medication, and had negative serology. The average length of treatment with tetracycline HCI and/or doxycycline was 85 days (range, 14 to 360 days). Of 39 dogs with initial titers of 1:2,560 or greater, 1 died, 25 were asymptomatic, and 13 were lost to follow‐up at the end of the study. The average length of treatment was 210 days (range, 21 to 630 days). Twenty‐seven dogs were seropositive at ≥ 1:2,560 when the sera was last tested. Thirteen dogs had initial titers of 1:80 to 1:1,280. Of these 13 dogs, 2 died, 2 were lost to follow‐up, and 9 were asymptomatic and had titers ranging from negative to ≥ 1:2,560 at the end of the study. The persistence of antibodies, prolonged subclinical phase, and delayed relapses despite long‐term medication, suggest inadequate chemotherapeutic agents or may be natural features of latency of ehrlichiosis in dogs. J Vet Intern Med 1996;10:271–274. Copyright © 1996 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine .