This information is given solely as an alternative for those people who either cannot afford veterinary care for their dog(s) and/or who do not have access to veterinary facilities. By reading or utilizing this information, the reader agrees to waive any and all rights, claims, causes of action, or any other allegations of injury, property damage, and/or emotional distress against California Jack and/or its owner, affiliated entities, associates, partners, etc. Further, the reader/user of this information agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless California Jack, and/or any of its owners, affiliated entities, associates, partners, etc., against any and all such rights, claims, causes of action, or any other allegations of injury, property damage, and/or emotional distress against California Jack, etc. The utilizer of this information agrees to use this information AT HIS OR HER OWN RISK TO HIS OR HER OWN PUP(S)/DOG(S), with the full and total understanding that babesia is a lethal disease which can and will kill some dogs irrespective of what kind of treatment the pup (dog) receives, or from whom. By reading, and/or using the material contained herein, the purchaser, reader, or user of this information fully understands the above and again agrees to utilize this information AT HIS OR HER OWN RISK TO HIS OR HER OWN PET.

BACKGROUND:
Babesia is often called "doggy AIDS", but this is not an accurate statement. AIDS is a virus that destroys the body's immune system and ability to fight off infection. Babesia is a protozoan blood parasite that destroys red blood cells. It can be in chronic form (a long, mildly debilitating disease, where your dog always seems a little bit off), or it can take an acute form (where it hits your dog over the head like a ton of bricks, bringing him from normal to death's door in a matter of days). Many dogs suffer from chronic babesia without our knowing about it. For every dog that gets the acute form, there are probably 20 dogs who have a mild, chronic case. This article addresses the acute form, where your dog's life is suddenly hanging by a string.

SIGNS TO LOOK FOR:
Again, babesia is a blood parasite. It is generally transported through the bites of ticks, biting flies, etc., but IT CAN ALSO BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH ACCIDENTAL FIGHTING CONTACT. About 10 days to 3 weeks will pass before any symptoms crop up from exposure, because the disease takes about that long to multiply and spread. The beginning of trouble starts when the disease gets to a point where it is eating more red blood cells than your dog's body can manufacture. At this time, a dog will stop eating and drinking. His tongue and gums will become pale as his red blood cells are being destroyed by the disease faster than they can be replaced. If you value the life of your dog, you will act immediately if any of these stages occur and get him to your vet. However, be careful because this disease is often misdiagnosed as Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. When a vet says your dog has autoimmune hemolytic anemia, what he is really saying is "I have no idea of why your dog is losing his red blood cells," and simply can't recognize babesia for what it is. Now if a dog can survive the first month, he will recover from this disease - but will now be a carrier - and he can also suffer a relapse and get it full blown again and die later. It takes a competent vet to recognize babesia, and you should therefore specifically ask for a babesia test to be done if your dog seems to be losing red blood cells for no explicable reason. There are two strains of babesia that affect dogs: 1) babesia canis and 2) babesi gibsoni. You need your vet to tell you which of the two strains he has, because it matters in how you treat your dog. The canis version can be cured with injections of Imizol, which can also prevent infection. Gibsoni is the more resistant strain and requires the use of a drug called Berenil. The following recipe was listed as proper treatment for gibsoni by High Tech Kennels in The Sporting Dog Journal:

1. Since an anemic dog cannot maintain its temperature, bring him inside next to heat, but don't over-do the heat. Just comfortable.

2. Aspirin will will reduce his fever, but give him peptic AC to buffer the aspirin.

3. Since they won't eat or drink, the condition is life-threatening so you must feed it something it can't resist that has a lot of moisture.
   • Try canned dog food w/ Pedialyte or water so it's a soup, or
   • Try lightly-cooked beef (or I'd say liver for the iron for the anemia) w/ rice, plus Pedialyte or water, or
   • Vanilla wafer cookies will make them thirsty to drink Pedialyte or water. [If he doesn't eat these he's in bad shape], or
   • If the (40 lb) dog won't eat or drink anything, inject 1/3 bag ringers under the skin between the shoulder blades 2-3x a day.
   • Provide your dog with an iron supplement (Geritol, Red Cell, Racer's Choice, etc.) to help him build back his red blood cells. Use as the label directs.

4. Get a PCV (Packed Cell Volume) blood count done on your dog at your vet. If your dog's red blood cell count falls below 12 (normal is 35-46), then he needs a blood transfusion to save his life. If you can afford Bio-Pure (artificial blood), this is preferred because the babesia can't attack it. Regular blood will still be attacked by the babesia, and will eventually be destroyed by it. But, either way, a blood transusion will be required for a dog with a blood count less than 12 to save his life. A transfusion will also bide you the necessary time you need to get the required drugs to zap it, and you must MONITOR his blood count every other day. Don't just take it once.

5. Medications for babesia gibsoni NOT approved by the FDA (but naturally are the ones that work best). Warning: they can be very hard to find:
   • Imizol (Imidocarb dipropionate) made in Germany, but has recently been approved for use in the States. It is dosed at 6.6 mg/kg given SQ or IM, dosed weekly until improvement. Imizol stops canis but often does little for gibsoni. Your vet should have this or be able to order it. The other is
     
   • Berenil (Diminazene aceturate) made in Germany. Dosed at 3-5 mg/kg of bodyweight injected IM on the 1st, 4th, and 11th day will knock either strain into remission. If you can obtain these drugs use them along with the oral medications listed below. Your vet may not be able to get Berenil for you - but a review of the drug in a vet manual I looked at said that the drug "may be obtained with special permission of the FDA." Make sure your vet makes this effort. (If you cannot get the Berenil, try paging High Tech Kennels at (773) 531-5736 and they might be able to get it for you.)
   • Aralen (Chloroquine phosphate) a drug labeled for humans in the treatment of malaria *may* actually cure babesia gibsoni. It comes in 500 mg. tablets. Give one 500 mg tablet on the 1st day, 1/2 a tablet (250 mg.) on the 2nd day, and another 250 mg. on the 14th day for a 40 lb. dog.

6. Medication (for a 40 lb dog) if you CAN'T get either Imizol, Berenil, or Aralen.
   • 100mg 1st day, 50mg for next 13 days Doxycycline (Vibramycin). Divide full dose in half and give every 12 hours.
   • 50mg/kg of bodyweight Flagyl (Metronidozole). 500 mg every 12 hours.
   • 25mg/kg of bodyweight Antirobe (Clindamycin) - 300 mg every 12 hours.
   • 250-500mg Biaxin every 12 hours.
   • Try to combine at least two of the above medications for 2-3 weeks, but even one is better than none.

When your dog recovers, give him/her a minimum of 3 months total rest. Get him plump and healthy, with plenty of good food, vitamins, clean water, and no stress. Stress can cause a relapse. With babesia, if the dog can survive the first month, he will recover - but will now be a carrier. If you want to breed your babesia dog give the OTHER dog a shot of Imizol first, which will act as a vaccine and prevent infection. Give a copy of this to your vet so he is conversant on what to do for this exotic disease. Treating a dog's symptoms through a blood transfusion may stabilize him, but unless you address the PROBLEM, the disease will NOT be knocked into remission.

Remember, many, many dogs have babesia but we don't know it. Any thin, anemic dog with pale gums should be a suspect, if he is wormed out good with Panacur but remains thin and anemic.

The above is solid info provided by High Tech Kennels, edited by me, but if you try any of the recommendations here you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK. I make no warranties or claims here. You can also call Dr. Adam Birkenheuer at the University of North Carolina at (919) 513-6357 for the most up-to-date information.

Hope this helps,

California Jack

Taken from the website of VISE-GRIP KENNEL: http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/CaliforniaJacksDogs/