Sequential babesiosis and ehrlichiosis in a dog with canine distemper- A retrospective analysis

A female adult Labrador dog adequately vaccinated and trained in explosive detection suddenly developed nervine symptoms characterized by foreleg paresis and lateral recumbency in about 20 days of sickness which started with fever, inappetence and depression. Examination of giemsa stained blood smear revealed presence of Babesia gibsoni and PCR analysis showed presence of B. canis in addition to B. gibsoni. Antibabesial treatment first with Clindamycin hydrochloride, Quinine sulphate upon microscopic detection of B. gibsoni followed by diminazene diaceturate and imidocarb dipropionate against B. canis detected in Polymerase Chain Reaction resulted clinical, parasitological and haematological improvement with gradual correction of the gait due to knuckling and impaired motor function in the left foreleg. Ten months later, oxytetracycline and doxycycline treatment consequent upon detection of inclusions indistinguishable from Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys during microscopic examination of blood of the animal with symptoms of anorexia, hemiplegia and absence of pedal reflex also resulted in clinical and haematological improvement as before. However, in another 3 months, the animal developed incoordination, circling movement, convulsion, chorea and coma leading to death. Post mortem examination revealed haemorrhages in many organs. Histopathological examination showed intranuclear and intracytoplasmic acidophilic inclusions of canine distemper in the epithelial cells of the urinary bladder, bronchioles and stomach. The present analysis discusses vaccine failure or infections with haemoparasites precipitating vaccine induced canine distemper as the cause of death.