My pregnant dog has ehrlichiosis, how can I treat her safely?

Doxycycline is not a drug of choice used during pregnancy, especially the second and third trimester with the main risks related to abnormal tooth and bone development, with permanent staining of the baby teeth, but if the health of the mother is at risk then the benefits may outweigh the risks. If she is now heavily pregnant I would continue to use as stopping now will not affect outcome, if however you think she is less than 3-4weeks pregnant and she had not been critically ill then it may be worth considering stopping treatment whilst aware that the initial disease symptoms may return or worsen if not fully cured. Blood tests to identify current infection may be helpful in deciding

That would depend on the underlying cause of it. If it is due to an upper respiratory tract infection/inflammation antibiotics may be given without problems/side effects for the pups. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Yes it sounds right. It seems Olivia is affected by Ehrlichia Canis (transmitted by ticks). At the moment she has high temperature. The doxycycline (antibiotics) needs to be given eventually for longer periods (3 weeks) if infection is particularly persistent. Treatment plan seems right. Please let us know if you have further questions and let us know how she is getting on.

While less common than fever, lameness and lethargy, Ehrlichiosis can cause vomiting and diarrhea, as well as neurologic signs (tremors, changes in pupil size, head tilt and a loss of balance). Regardless of the types of signs seen, Ehrlichiosis is typically treated with doxycycline for 4 weeks and most dogs do quite well. Some additional supportive medications can be necessary to treat any signs of gastrointestinal upset or excessive terming. If Amaia has been diagnosed with Ehrlichiosis, be sure that she has been examined by her vet and ask about starting doxycycline and supportive medications to treat any GI or neurologic signs. I hope that she feels better soon!

Unfortunately, no, doxycycline is not a good choice for antibiotics in a nursing mamma dog. First, it does not have the spectrum of antibacterial activity needed for most mammary gland infections. This means that it may not clear up the infection entirely or be effective against the organisms causing the infection at all. Secondly, this is a drug that needs to be avoided in nursing moms because of potential side effects it can have in young puppies. This drug is not safe in neonates and can cause problems with the teeth in these young pups. I would recommend taking your momma dog to the vet to be examined and to get an antibiotic that is safe for her and the pups. In the meantime, until you can get to the vet, try using warm compresses and massage on the affected glands if your dog will tolerate it. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. 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.

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/