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Why is my dog still testing positive for Babesia after treatment?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 8 months old

On 12 may 2018 he was diagnosed with b.ginsoni positive and he has gone with the treatment for month till 12 June 2018 then in 19 June 2018 we had his CBC where his platelets come 202000 and yesterday on 24 July we again went for blood work where his platelets come 140000 and in blood smear it came again b.gibsoni positive & he is active eating and playing well that is why I asked when this b.gibsoni will going to come as negative in blood smear after the treatment has done

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By John C. Gicking, DVM, DACVECC

Veterinarian, Board-Certified Emergency/Critical Care Specialist

Published on July 25th, 2018

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Itis good that Bruno is feeling better. Babesia gibsoni can be very hard to completely clear and is an infection that can remain in hiding/dormant with no outward clinical signs. Therapy with variety of different medications has been tried with varying success. Months (2-3) of therapy is often needed. It is important that control of the vector (ticks) be a priority in preventing reinfection if the current infection is cleared.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on July 24th, 2018
Hello. Unfortunately, there is no treatment that will completely clear a dog of this organism. There are combination treatments that may get the infection to low non-detectable levels on PCR, but the infection still remains. Treatment is usually reserved for patients showing signs of the disease. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Laura Johnson VMD
Veterinarian
Published on August 22nd, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I recommend treating Danny with a different drug. I think from your previous posts that he was only treated with doxycycline, which isn't the ideal choice for treatment. Discuss with your Vet a combination therapy of 3 antibiotics (I know I listed them for you last month) or imidocarb. Then retest in 2 months after treating again. Sadly no one has the perfect answer here. It seems doing nothing hasn't worked. If he was my dog and meeting several criteria for B gibsoni I would treat again with the correct medications.

Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

Health & Wellness

Will my dog always test positive for Babesia gibsoni after infection?

Many dogs will remain positive. Some others don't remain positive. Every dog is different. A dog is a living organism, not a machine. Every dog will be different. That is all I can tell you. We do not know why this is happening. It just is that way. Here is excellent information on this disease. Under "Treatment" you can read about "B. gibsoni infection: In most cases, the parasites are not totally eliminated.". http://www.vetfolio.com/infectious-disease/babesia-gibsoni-an-emerging-pathogen-in-dogs This is basically all the information we have and is known. Here is another article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401718301018

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's Babesiosis isn't clearing, what are other treatments?

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Not every treatment will work for every strain of babesia ( ie B. canis & B. gibsoni ). If the Imidocarb did not clear the babesia, please discuss with your veterinarian the use of one of these 3 treatments: Diminazene aceturate; Atovaquone & Azithromycin for at least 10 days; or Enrofloxacin, Doxycycline & metronidazole combination for 6 weeks. Hopefully, one of these treatments is available to you & will clear the Babesia from Gundu. Take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

How long do dogs take doxycycline for tick diseases like babesia?

Hello, sorry to hear about Bruno. Treatment for babesia may be long, up to 4-6 weeks at times. Bruno may need to be on this medication for this time or longer depending on what your veterinarian sees when Bruno goes in for his recheck. Additionally, Bruno may need more than one medication for this treatment. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Dog's fever gone, blood test shows Babesiosis. Is it tick fever?

Your dog has a blood parasite transmitted by ticks, ie Babesiosis. Up to now, no single drug has effectively and consistently eliminated B. gibsoni from infected dogs and the side effects, as well as availability, of some of the medications limit their use. Here is information on B.gibsoni infection. You may want to discuss with your veterinarian, whwther he wants to proceed with treatment or just use supportive treatment. There is no virus involved. http://www.vetfolio.com/infectious-disease/babesia-gibsoni-an-emerging-pathogen-in-dogs

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has B. gibsoni but is healthy. Will he ever test negative?

Hello. As I said earlier, in some dogs B. gibsoni many NEVER clear the blood & will always test positive by PCR. This does not mean your dog has an active infection but total remission seldom occurs. There was a paper presented in 2017 where a dog was treated with clindamycin, doxycycline & metronidazole for 6 weeks, & was tested negative at 3 & 6 months after treatment was stopped, so you might want to discuss this with your veterinarian & see if this is possible for your pet. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog tested positive for Babesia but is active. Should I retest?

Babesia, just like all the other tick borne diseases, can show up positive on the snap test, because the snap test confirms exposure and not always current infection. As long as Danny's bloodwork does not show current low platelets or anemia, then he is likely free of infection. Just expect him to be positive on the screening test for a while, and monitor him for any recurring symptoms, which would indicate a repeat infection. The fact that he is clinically ok now, is a good sign that he is free from true infection. : ) I would also make a point to keep him on a tick/flea preventative to help protect him from future infections. Best wishes with your pet Danny moving forward! Take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Dog fever, low platelets, positive protozoa: Could it be tick fever?

Hello, According to the attached diagnostic test results, Bruno tested positive for Babesia. Babesia is a red blood cell parasite that usually causes anemia but it can cause decreased platelets and kidney injury. I would advise you to discuss therapy with your veterinarian as soon as possible. The disease is treated with a couple of drugs but typically imidocarb.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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