Atovaquone as an Alternative Therapeutic Management for Babesiosis in Canine

Vishnu Kumar Rai; Arbind Singh; Amit Kumar Verma; Prem Sagar Maurya; Vikas Jaiswal; Tarun Kumar; Aditya Kumar

Authors

Vishnu Kumar Rai MVSc Scholar, Veterinary Medicine, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh -250110, INDIA
Arbind Singh Assistant Professor, Livestock Farm Complex (Veterinary Medicine), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh -250110, INDIA
Amit Kumar Verma Professor & Head, Veterinary Medicine, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh -250110, INDIA
Prem Sagar Maurya Associate Professor, Veterinary Parasitology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh -250110, INDIA
Vikas Jaiswal Assistant Professor, Veterinary Pathology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh -250110, INDIA
Tarun Kumar MVsc Scholar, Veterinary Medicine, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh -250110, INDIA
Aditya Kumar PhD Scholar, Veterinary Medicine, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, U.S. Nagar(Uttarakhand)-263145, INDIA

Keywords:

Babesiosis,, German shepherd dog, Atovaquone, Azithromycin, Doxycycline

Abstract

Canine Babesiosis is a significant tick-borne haemoprotozoan infection caused by the intra-erythrocytic parasite Babesia species. It commonly presents with fever, haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia, and splenomegaly. A six-month-old female German shepherd was brought to the Veterinary Clinical Complex, Meerut, with anorexia, tachypnoea, and tick infestation. Clinical examination revealed weakness, depression, and a fever of 105.2°F. Blood tests showed anaemia, hemoglobinemia, and thrombocytopenia, while a thin blood smear confirmed Babesia infection. Initial treatment included Doxycycline (10 mg/kg orally every 24 hours) with supportive therapy for seven days. While the dog showed slight improvement, Babesia species persisted in the blood smear. Consequently, the treatment was revised to Azithromycin (10 mg/kg orally every 24 hours) and Atovaquone (13.3 mg/kg orally every 8 hours) for ten days. This led to full recovery, with the dog regaining appetite, resolving fever, and showing no parasitaemia on follow-up blood tests.