Houdini Tested Positive For Babesiosis

[Batmom]

That sounds odd to me? The CBC won't show you tick disease status. Unless she was saying that if the dog had the disease, you would expect to see low RBC or low platelets?

[onrushpam]

We've treated a bunch of dogs with Imizol and only the first one had any problems. Then, we learned how to properly administer it.

 

Since she's not symptomatic and her CBC is okay, I think you're fine to wait and see.

 

I think Houdini might be one of our JCKC pups? I'll be watching for news on how she does.

[Guest BooBooMama]

That sounds odd to me? The CBC won't show you tick disease status. Unless she was saying that if the dog had the disease, you would expect to see low RBC or low platelets?

Yes, that is what she said to look for- the HCT, RBC and WBC.

[Guest BooBooMama]

We've treated a bunch of dogs with Imizol and only the first one had any problems. Then, we learned how to properly administer it.

 

Since she's not symptomatic and her CBC is okay, I think you're fine to wait and see.

 

I think Houdini might be one of our JCKC pups? I'll be watching for news on how she does.

 

She is a Daytona Beach girl! Her owner was either Randy E. Floyd or Craig J. Tas. GPA FL picked her up and RGA (my group in Appleton) took her in. Her racing name was Happy So. She is a doll.

[greyhead]

The test is like dipping a bucket in the ocean and hoping it comes back with fish. You know there are fish in the ocean, but the odds of the bucket catching them are pretty small. That's why all the experts I consulted, including the vet on the Tick-L forum, say that a negative PCR is meaningless.

 

Egad. That's almost exactly the opposite of what a leading researcher at the same school told me. Don't you love it when you ask the same question and get two different answers from reasonable sources?

 

The thing with PCRs is, you only have to catch one fish, you don't have to catch a bunch. That's the beauty of the technology. You got one piece of DNA, you got a positive. A single negative PCR isn't a guarantee, but it's a pretty good indication.

Two different answers -- what fun! My researcher wasn't saying you need lots of "fish"; one's plenty. It's just that coming up with even one bit of DNA in the random blood sample you draw from the dog is very small because the bits are so minute and the circulatory system so relatively large. I did read somewhere that capillary blood is a good place to look for these bits because the narrowness of capillaries tends to trap stuff like that better than veins or arteries. But all you could get from a capillary would be a smidge for the vet's slide.

It's interesting stuff to think about -- but not when it's your dog. I felt a lot better after Shane was treated and I didn't have to worry about it. Now it's interesting!