• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Locations:
  • Canyon
  • Center
  • College Station
  • Gonzales
  • TVMDL Career Center
  • Contact Us

Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Apple App

download on the Apple App Store
download the app on Google Play

Search

Translate:

  • Find a Form
  • Deliver a Sample
    • Specimen Collection Information
    • Packaging Samples for Shipment
    • Drop Off a Sample
    • Cremation
    • Order Supplies
  • Client Portal
    • Get Test Results
    • SVA Portal
    • Pay a Bill
  • Become a Client
  • Resources
    • TVMDL Bovine Testing Guidance and Reference Material
    • Diagnostic Plans
      • Bovine Syndromic Diagnostic Plans
      • Equine Syndromic Diagnostic Plans
      • Small Ruminant Syndromic Diagnostic Plans
      • Small Animal Syndromic Diagnostic Plans
    • Education Library
    • Case Study Library
    • Electronic Reporting: QR Coding Process
    • CoreOne Resources
  • About Us
    • Locations and Hours
    • Agency Leadership
    • Speaker’s Bureau
    • Texas Pullorum-Typhoid Program
    • TVMDL Mobile app
    • Contact Us
  • Locations
    • College Station Laboratory
    • Canyon Laboratory
    • Center Laboratory
    • Gonzales Laboratory
  • Contact Us

Ehrlichia canis discovered in dog

October 1, 2019 by Mallory Pfeifer

Ehrlichia canis discovered in dog
Julie Piccione, DVM, MS, DACVP, Pam Ferro, MS, PhD, and Megan Schroeder, PhD

A 7-year-old, neutered Labrador Retriever was presented to their veterinarian for acute onset of lethargy, inappetence, and epistaxis. On physical examination, the dog had a mild fever (102.8˚F) and dried blood around the nose. Blood was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for CBC and chemistry panels. The chemistry panel was unremarkable. On the CBC, there was a marked thrombocytopenia (20,000 K/µL), mild lymphocytosis, and minimal decrease in HCT. Blood smear examination confirmed the thrombocytopenia. On the feathered edge of the blood smear, rare monocytes containing morula (Figure 1) were observed. Based on this finding, TVMDL’s Tick-Borne Pathogen Multiplex (rtPCR) test was performed and confirmed the presence of Ehrlichia canis.

Ehrlichiosis in dogs is most commonly caused by infections with Ehrlichia canis and Ehrlichia ewingii. In the acute phases of the disease, morulae can be observed within WBCs during blood smear examination. Morulae are cytoplasmic vacuoles filled with bacteria. E. canis can be spread by the brown dog tick and the American dog tick. Clinical signs include lethargy, anorexia, fever, and bleeding. CBC findings can vary, but thrombocytopenia is the most common finding. The lack of visible morulae on a blood smear does not rule out ehrlichiosis. When ehrlichiosis is suspected, confirmatory testing should include serologic tests and antigen detection (e.g. PCR). Diagnostic sensitivity is improved when both testing methods are performed concurrently.  The overall prognosis for dogs with ehrlichiosis is good if the infection is diagnosed and treated early.

To learn more about this case, contact Dr. Julie Piccione, clinical pathology section head, Dr. Pam Ferro, molecular diagnostics section head, or Dr. Megan Schroeder, molecular diagnostics assistant section head. For more information about TVMDL’s test catalog, visit tvmdl.tamu.edu or call 1.888.646.5623.

Cytology image of blood smear

Figure 1. Peripheral blood smear from a dog. On the feathered edge, monocytes rarely contain cytoplasmic morula (arrow) consistent with E. canis.

Filed Under: Case Study Tagged With: canine, college station, cytology, dog, pathology, TVMDL

Primary Sidebar

Latest Case Studies

  • Neurologic Disease due to Bovine Herpesvirus-5 (BHV-5) Infection in a 3-week-old Charolais mix calf

    February 27, 2023

  • Rare case of ocular onchocerciasis in a dog from south Texas

    January 25, 2023

  • Cerebrospinal Nematodiasis (Visceral Larval Migrans) in Birds

    September 13, 2022

  • Spironucleosis (Hexamitiasis) in Quail

    August 9, 2022

  • Endocarditis in a White-Tailed Deer Caused by Trueperella pyogenes

    August 9, 2022

Footer

For Employees

  • Employee Email
  • TVMDL Rules & Procedures
  • TVMDL Career Center
  • Emergency Alert Systems
  • AgriLife People Directory
  • AgriLife Administrative Services
  • TAMUS Single Sign On
  • Facebook

State of Texas

  • Texas.gov Portal
  • Texas Veterans Portal
  • Statewide Search
  • Texas Homeland Security
  • Risk, Fraud, & Misconduct Hotline

Policies

  • Privacy and Security Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Texas A&M AgriLife
  • Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory
  • Texas A&M Forest Service
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Research

483 Agronomy Rd
College Station, TX 77843