My dog tested positive for Ehrlichia. Is calmness a symptom? Does he need antibiotics?

This is a tricky situation because there isn't a definitive answer with these circumstances. If a dog is positive for either (or both) Anaplasma and Erhlichia, then at a minimum, a CBC (complete blood count) should be run to check on the red & white blood cells, and platelets. Both of these diseases can affect blood cells, which can lead to bleeding issues. If any blood cell lines are affected, then yes, the dog should be treated. If all blood cell counts are normal and the dog is asymptomatic, then there's a bit more of a gray area. As in human medicine, veterinary medicine tries to be cautious in our use of antibiotics, which are the drugs used to treat these infections. Obviously, it's important to use antibiotics when they're needed. If they aren't absolutely necessary, then we should avoid overuse because this leads to bacterial resistance, meaning that the antibiotics may not work when we really need them. Personally, I tend to not treat positive dogs that are asymptomatic with normal CBCs, but other vets may have different preferences. https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/anaplasmosis/ https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/ehrlichia/

If Lacey was found to be positive on a routine screening test as part of her yearly exam, it could be indicative of exposure to Ehrlichia but not an active infection. Ehrlichia is a type of tick borne disease that infects the white blood cells in a dog. If she isn't sick, I would recommend she have a blood test done called a complete blood cell count, or CBC. This measures and examines the red and white blood cells. If normal, she has been exposed and no further treatment is needed at this time. If abnormal her veterinarian may start her on a course of an antibiotic (doxycycline).

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You're right that Ghontu tested positive for Ehrlichia - but keep in mind that is an "antibody" test, meaning it tests for *exposure* to a disease and doesn't necessarily mean she has Ehrlichia. If a dog is exposed to Ehrlichia and their immune system does its job and successfully clears the body of the Ehrlichia infection, they will still show a positive result on that test. So it's not cause for panic! I defer to your regular vet to determine how worried they are, based on Ghontu's exam and other findings. If they feel treatment is appropriate, they will probably start Ghontu on a 4-week course of medication. The ALP is a bit elevated, but that elevation is quite mild and wouldn't have me too worried. Again, I would defer to your usual vet. But unless they had reason to worry about the ALP specifically, I wouldn't think twice about that ALP value. Hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for your post! I am sorry to hear that Spock has ehrlichia. This disease is treatable and can be cured. However, you should know that the test most veterinary clinics use is a snap test to detect antibodies against ehrlichia. If you are going back in 3 weeks to have this same test performed, Spock will likely continue to show a positive result. This is because his body has made antibodies against ehrlichia. If he had a previous infection and ehrlichia is not causing any of these symptoms, he will still show positive on this SNAP test so if you are going in to have the same SNAP test performed I would have your veterinarian send out a tick fever PCR test to the laboratory. This will detect DNA to ehrlichia and not antibodies. If Spock is positive on the PCR, it means that he has a current active infection. If you do not know if Spock has ever had your licio previously, I would still treat this with Doxycycline for 4 to 6 weeks total treatment time. I hope this helps, please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation

I'm sorry for your frustration, but there may be a solution. Most veterinarians use the Antibody test to detect Ehrlichia. Even with treatment, your dog may show a positive test for months or up to a year as the antibody is still being detected. In order to more accurately test if your dog has the disease, the newer blood test called a PCR assay can be submitted. This tests specifically for presence of the organism , not the antibodies. Please speak with your veterinarian about doing a different test as you may wait a very long time for the antibody test to be negative. I'm sure the newer test is probably more expensive, so be prepared to ask about the cost. Best of luck!

As she recently suffers from Erlichiosis it is normal for her to test positive in such a test, her body created a large quantity of antibodies during the active stage of the disease and the antibodies will remain for several years in her system, this does not mean she is still suffering from the disease.

It is possible but very rare for the test to be wrong (false positive) - repeat testing in 2-3weeks would provide more information. The test looks for antibodies (made by the dogs immune system in response to infection), some dogs become what is termed 'sub-clinical' - infected but without any clinical signs or alterations in blood cells, a phase which can last months or years before signs of disease are detected; regular blood counts should be considered to monitor for changes in such cases