how can i treat babesiosis??

I was referring giving it a try as a cure. If I had a dog with it I would also pts. Limey was referring to it as a possible cure. So in that case if it came to pts, or trying it as an option, why not give it a try? Your going to pts your dog anyway. But it doesn't matter, it isn't available in the US anyway.

 

Because a dog with something like that should never be bred and I wouldn't put my healthy dogs at risk for transmission so the infected dog would be PTS that would be the only option for me. If people want to try other drugs out there on the market that have not yet been approved for treatment here in the US by the FDA that is their personal choice but I wouldn't recommend it that is all am I saying.

 

That's not true. They are always a carrier and never cured. Remission and cured are 2 different things.

 

if i had aids, but wasnt dying....would you still wanna do me???? ........same thing with this shit lol

 

Most people have never heard of Babesia organisms though they have been causing red blood cell destruction in their canine hosts all over the world. Babesia organisms are spread by ticks and are of particular significance to racing greyhounds and pit bull terriers. Humans may also become infected.



There are over 100 species of Babesia but only a few are found in the U.S. and are transmissible to dogs. Babesia canis, the “large” species of Babesia is one, “Babesia gibsoni,” a smaller Babesia which affects pit bull terriers almost exclusively is another, and a second but unnamed small Babesia has been identified in California. Babesia species continue to be classified and sub-classified worldwide.

HOW INFECTION HAPPENS AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Infection occurs when a Babesia infected tick bites a dog and releases Babesia sporozoites into the dog’s bloodstream. A tick must feed for 2-3 days to infect a dog with Babesia. The young Babesia organisms attach to red blood cells, eventually penetrating and making a new home for themselves within. Inside the red blood cell, the Babesia organism divests its outer coating and begins to divide, becoming a new form called a “merozoite” which a new tick may ingest during a blood meal. Infected pregnant dogs can spread Babesia to their unborn puppies and dogs can transmit the organism by biting another dog as well. (In fact, for Babesia gibsoni, which is primarily a pit bull terrier infection, ticks are a minor cause of infection and maternal transmission and bite wounds being the chief routes of transmission.)

Having a parasite inside one’s own red blood cells does not go undetected by one’s immune system. Infected red blood cells are identified and destroyed which kills the Babesia organism but, unfortunately, if many red blood cells are infected this leaves the host with anemia, a lack of red blood cells. Often the host’s immune system will begin destroying the uninfected red cells as well, a condition called Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. Symptoms include weakness, jaundice, fever, red or orange colored urine. At least 50% of patients will require blood transfusions.

Making matters worse is the fact that animals seem to get sicker than the degree of anemia would suggest so that there is more to this infection than the actual destruction of red blood cells. The severe inflammation that is associated with this parasitism can be overwhelming and completely separate from the anemia. Platelet counts can drop thus impairing normal blood clotting (especially a problem with Babesia gibsoni). An assortment of neurologic signs of can occur with Babesia infection when parasites sequester inside the central nervous system and generate a more localized focus of inflammation. In severe cases there is a lung injury similar to what people with late stage malaria can experience. The new California Babesia species seem predisposed to creating liver disease.

If the acute symptoms are relatively mild or at least non-lethal, a chronic infection can develop. This is usually without symptoms but the dog may continue to be a source of infection to feeding ticks. Relapses can also occur with stress.

Because babesiosis is a tick-borne infection, it is not unusual for infected dogs to have other tick-borne infections such as Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and others. These infections may interact to make each other more severe.

Young dogs tend to be most severely infected, especially Pit Bull terriers.

DIAGNOSIS OF BABESIOSIS

If one is very lucky, the Babesia organisms can be seen on a blood smear. Babesia canis organisms are tear-shaped and occur in pairs. Other Babesia species have several forms in which they appear. Odds of finding the organism are improved by checking freshly drawn blood taken from a capillary source (a small cut to an ear, for example) rather than from a blood vessel. If Babesia organisms are found, the patient is definitely infected but in most cases an alternative method of diagnosis is needed.

Antibody testing has been problematic as infected animals may have circulating antibodies long after the organism is gone or may have no antibodies circulating while the few organisms remain hidden inside red blood cells.

The current method of diagnosis involves PCR testing. This is extremely sensitive testing and can distinguish 4 different species of Babesia. While only certain laboratories run this type of testing, this is really the best method of answering the Babesia infection question.

BABESIA TREATMENT

Therapy for Babesia is not a benign under-taking. In fact, if a dog is asymptomatic with Babesia, treatment is not worth the side effects. Further, even with treatment Babesia gibsoni, and probably the other small Babesia species, cannot be fully cleared by any of the drugs listed. Female dogs testing positive for Babesia should not be bred.

Diminazene Aceturate
This drug is not available in the U.S. but in other countries is the most commonly used treatment. A single injection is needed and is best used on Babesia canis. Side effects include: nausea, blood pressure drop, painful injection, seizures, and some fatal reactions.

Imidocarb Dipropionate
This is the only drug approved for babesiosis in the U.S. A single dose is usually effective for Babesia canis but two given two weeks apart are needed for Babesia gibsoni and the other smaller Babesias. The injection is painful plus causes muscle tremors, drooling, elevated heart rate, shivering, fever, facial swelling, tearing of the eyes, and restlessness. Pre-treatment with an injection of atropine helps palliate these side effects.

Trypan Blue
This medication serves to block the parasite from entering red blood cells and may help minimize the symptoms of the infection. Side effects are minimal and it is given as an IV drip.

Phenamidine Isethionate
This drug is not available in the U.S. but a similar drug, Pentamidine isethionate, is. It is more effective on Babesia canis.

Quinuronium Sulfate
This drug is not available in the U.S. It is similar to malarial treatment. It is given as a series of two injections two days apart generally with marked improvement in the patient by the second injection.
A combination therapy of quinine, azithromycin, atovaquone, and/or clindamycin are promising and may become prominent in the future. Clindamycin, the treatment of choice for Babesia microti, the chief Babesia species that infects humans, can be used against Babesia in the dog. Since this is a readily available antibiotic and the drugs specific for Babesia (listed above) are difficult to obtain, clindamycin represents an excellent starting point for therapy.

A vaccine is available against Babesia in France but only seems effective against certain strains. Vaccination is 89% effective in France. The best prevention is aimed at tick control.

HUMAN BABESIOSIS

In the U.S. chiefly occurs on the East Coast and along the Great Lakes. Babesia microti is the species that infects humans and is associated with a 5% mortality rate. Treatment is similar to that for malaria: blood transfusion, quinine, and clindamycin. New species of Babesia have been diagnosed in humans in California, Washington State, and Missouri.

For more detail on human infection visit:

DPDx - Babesiosis

Babesia Infection in Dogs

 

Ok Boogieman is correct .

Canis can be cured.

Gibsoni can not be cured.

Ginsoni can go into remission. But remission is not a cure.

It is passed via blood transmission. It is not a classified as a sexually transmitted like brucellosis. But since blood can be passed via breeding it is a risk. And that is straight out of Dr Birkenheuer mouth when I asked him at a Vet conference.

A bitch that comes down with Gibsoni is through. No breeding ever. A male no natural breeding ever. Since it may be transmitted via breeding. Only AI. If he recovers from treatment. And there is still a slight risk.

Please read. I posted this a few years ago.

Canine Babesiosis

Breeding

Transplacental or perinatal transmission is very likely, but yet to be confirmed in a controlled setting.

An atovaquone and azithromycin drug combination is the only treatment shown to reduce B. gibsoni parasitemia below the limit of detection by a sensitive PCR test. It was effective in 83% of treated dogs in a controlled trial.

Since confirmation of a complete cure cannot be confirmed without splenectomy or sub-inoculation of blood into a splenectomized dog, caution should be used when using treated animals for breeding.

Recovery

Babesia canis–infected dogs typically have a complete recovery after treatment. Treatment failures are less common with B. canis. Babesia gibsoni– infected dogs treated with atovaquone and azithromycin combination therapy have not been reported to have relapse of clinical disease and some dogs have remained PCR negative for over three years. Babesiagibsoni– infected dogs that remain persistently infected
after specific therapy will typically fall into one of the following categories:

"Complete recovery" means there is resolution of anemia and no outward signs of disease even after stress or illness. Mild thrombocytopenia and hyperglobulinemia often persist.

"Partial recovery" means that outward clinical signs have resolved, but mild anemia (PCV 25–35%), thrombocytopenia and hyperglobulinemia persist.

"Complete or partial recovery, but relapse during stress" means that the outward clinical signs and possibly clinicopathologic signs resolve, but during periods of stress (whelping, illness, fight) the dog becomes clinically ill again.

 

Good Post Cynthia ... Lot's of good info in that thread ..

 

That is sort of the same thing i was thinking myself,lol

 

The only problem I have with the people who are saying not to breed babesia affected dogs is, are they testing each and every animal they breed prior to doing so? Or are they testing the yard each year to make sure no dogs have babesia??

All dogs with babesia are not exhibiting symptoms, so therefore the same people professing they would not own or breed a dog with babesia may have one on their yard right now and not know it. Are they saying they will own or breed dogs not showing symptoms? Or are these people taking a proactive approach to make sure and eliminate all animals in their possession with babesia?

I work as a vet tech and work with a few people who own this breed. I have tested quite a few dogs and it is extremely prevalent. I have tested dogs perfectly healthy whose results came back positive. I just tested a 9 month old puppy who came back positive. He wasn't sick, but the owner wanted to test so we did. Should he put down the 9 month old puppy?

I really don't care to prove or disprove if it can be "cured." I will say I do not treat with medications from the U.S. I will also say I have been around MANY dogs who have been treated and placed back in stressful situations with no issues going forward.

So once again, are you all testing all of your dogs prior to breeding or owning them? I would find it very interested if some of the same people with multiple animals tested their yards and found out some of the dogs they own not showing symptoms in fact had babesia. Thanks

Rare Breed Kennels

 

A dog i send to the USA back in 1999, got infected in 2000. his name was King gator. he was on the yard of wyk kennelsTexas at the time. the dog sufferd from sevear case of gibsoni and flipt over a couple of times every day . he was taken to anm housten where they said he shouldhave been dead ,thats how low his blood cound was. he got blood transfusion and he got treadmend of the day back then, and recuverd!!!. He was used as a stud dog . and later was sold to another dogman who bred to him as wel. later he was sold again and was used as a stud dog up north.
He sierd a fair amound of pups and so far so i have never heard of the dog dilivering pups with barbesia and ore infecting biches. some time ago Tom Gardner brought a hand pickt bitch out of that dog and she is being used in his breeding program.. now dispite the eurly 90,s panick and over reacting people about Barbesia today. vets over the world are alredy claiming that in 10 years from now it wil be just another diseas that wil need a vacsination shot. like parvo ecetera. in the likes of carbesia today wich work as a vactinations for 6 weeks. so peopole who are out there who are in the hunting bisenis can use it and stay safe.
as it is there are PLENTY of dogs that are and have been infected and who are carriers that are used bij people who dont know there dogs have the diseas. its these kind of dogs that slowly start a natural bufferzone ore imumme system against the varius strains of Barbesia..
and as the previus poster said there are also plenty of dogs that afther treadmend have no problem handeling stressfull situations.
I know of some cases myself. ...

 

[FONT=&quot]If your ace dog has babesia, and you value their life. You will try to save them. Limey says there is a cure, I would try it.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There is a great chance you all have babesia on your yards, if you're truly active ([/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]Internationa[/FONT]) active

 

Such a great dog it was passed around so many times it should have had a speed pass lol. I'm sure those people all appreciate you putting it out there they are breeding these turds too lol.

CC yes I test my dogs before breeding them. Unlike the peddlers I am concerned with passing along bullshit diseases. The test isn't cheap, but what is when you do shit RIGHT!

Peddlers will be peddlers and turds will be turds. Your post shows clearly how retards are breeding this shit and passing it along

 

Thread cleaned, now let's get back to the topic at hand...

 

of course theres a cure .22 close range.

 

lmao-----^

 

That is the only 100% cure I know of OKC!

Yes treatment atovaquone and azithromycin drug combination is the only treatment shown to reduce Gibsoni below the limit of detection by a sensitive PCR test. It was effective in 83% of treated dogs in a controlled trial. Not 100% but 83%. And that is only a remission not a cure. There is still a possibilities of reoccurrence.

Now people keep stressing the breeding aspect. Babesia is not classified as a sexually transmitted disease such as brucellosis. However because of the risk of blood transmission during a natural breeding it is a risk. However it has never been in a controlled study per Dr Birkenheuer.

But people do test along with brucellosis as a pre breeding screening.

Babesia is transmitted by Ticks, Fights, Recent Blood Transfusion, and Transplacental or perinatal.

Now according to Dr Birkenheuer at NC State Kennels with one Gibsoni infected dog is at risk for having a higher prevalence (10-50%) and that is why I would euth one of mine if they ever came up positive. I will not risk my other dogs health.

Dr Birkenheuer stressed during his lecture that they use the term recovery instead of cure due to the possibly of relapse .

I know a few kennels who swear that there is a cure. Or you can't use US drugs to cure. And people believe that because they want to save their dog. But it just is not true.

I sat in on the lecture at the conference and waited after it was over as talked directly with Dr Birkenheuer due to prevalence of this disease in our breed.

 

A good study worth reading for all those who want to deal with it.

Use of a doxycycline-enrofloxacin-metronidazole combination with/without diminazene diaceturate to treat naturally occurring canine babesiosis caused by Babesia gibsoni

 

Look........google makes everybody smart! lol

 

That study says clinical remission. Not cure.

All studies say you can treat and reach remission. That is not being debated.

What is, is the fact that if it can be cured. And the risk it poses to your kennel.

 

never said it was a cure... nor did i enter a debate. Put information out there for people to read if they are dealing with babesia.