2933. A Golden Retriever may have tick fever - Babesia gibonsi antibody test. A Presa had tick fever in 2014

In 2016, the supplier stocks Babesia gibsoni antibody test kits and Toa Payoh Vets have some. Yesterday, Sep 28, 2016, a young couple probably google "Imidocarb Singapore Vets" or some words similarly and phoned me.

His vet had no stock of the test kit. The 2.5-year-old Golden Retriever lives in an apartment and was unable to stand and had smelly diarrhea. He farted but could walk on his hind legs. He had a fever of 40.8 C and a lower RBC, Hb count of less than 5% in the low range. Platelets were very low at 36. The vet tested with Cani-Vet 4 which does not cover Babesia and so told the owners accordingly.
Anti-diarrhea drugs and electroltyes and prednisolone medication were prescribed.

So, the boyfriend surfed and phoned me. I had the test kit. The dog was negative to the test. If clinical signs are present (anaemia, seizure, fever) and this test is negative, it is interpreted as 2-4 weeks after infection. But the dog's gum are pink and though he has weakness in his back legs and diarrhea, this may or may not be a suspected case of tick fever.

Vet 1 did not want to give the imidocarb injection and so I did not want to interfere as the owner only wanted a test kit for Babesia and/or a PCR test.    

"Was a blood smear done by Vet 1?" I asked. The owner said a blood test was done. As the owner would be going back to Vet 1, I did not want to confused him further.

The owner wanted a PCR test which Vet 1 had advised.


PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a technique that permits the analysis of samples containing only minute quantities of DNA or RNA. PCR is used to reproduce (amplify) selected sections of DNA or RNA for analysis.


AN INTERESTING CASE OF A PRESA with Babesia gibsoni treated successfully in Mar 2014 is at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1b0DrZKx-I&feature=youtu.be

At that time, there were no Babesia gibsoni antibody test kit. The blood smear was positive as the dog had clinical signs. Treatment was early and the dog is now normal.