Treatment of Canine Ehrlichia

Canine Ehrlichia is a tick-borne disease usually caused by the organism, Ehrlichia (E. canis).  Dogs get this disease through the bite of a brown dog tick.  The tick passes an Ehrlichia organism into the dog’s bloodstream when it bites.  Canine Ehrlichia occurs in three states, with each stage exhibiting more severity.  The first stage is known as the acute, with the second stage being called the sub- clinical phase, and followed by the most severe or the chronic stage.

Treatment of canine Ehrlichia is conducted through the administration of antibiotics.  Doxycycline or tetracycline is the most commonly used antibiotics, with an administration period of six to eight weeks.  Signs of positive results usually take at least four weeks to appear. 

Dogs suffering from dehydration are given intravenous or subcutaneous fluids.  More severe cases may require blood transfusions if the dog is showing signs of anemia.  Steroids are generally prescribed in cases where the platelets are extremely low.