A retrospective study on 120 natural cases of canine ehrlichiosis

In a retrospective study on 120 natural cases of canine ehrlichiosis, it was found that cases were presented in all months of the year. The disease was diagnosed in 26 different breeds amongst which the German Shepherd was the best represented. Of the different breeds of dog, German Shepherds showed the highest incidence of chronic cases as well as the highest mortality rate. In a randomly selected sample of 50 dogs, the clinical signs of canine ehrlichiosis were found to be mainly non-specific. The terms acute, subacute and chronic are proposed to describe the different stages of disease. The total white cell count was found to be of prognostic value. Treatment with either doxycycline or oxytetracycline was found to be effective in most of the cases. Blood transfusion was the most important method of supportive therapy.