3 yr old Cockapoo - positive Ehrlichia Canis/Ehrilichia Ewingi (antibody)

[indianhippygirl]

From a comprehensive exam today, I found out my dog tested positive for Ehrlichia (antibody); everything else tested negative. She's been taking Trio Simparica, so I was surprised by this result. Also, she's been acting normally. I also thought Trio supposedly kills ticks as soon as they bite, but I guess not.

The vet told me everything else from the bloodwork is normal, but I see from the report that the Eosinophil percentage is 0.7000% below normal (1.000-18.000% normal range), and Hemoglobin (HGB) is 18.800 g/dl above normal (12.000-18.000 g/dl).

Anyway, the vet prescribed Doxycycline 100 mg antibiotic for 28 days. I'm afraid of possible side effects if I give the antibiotic for that long. I'm at home and just wondering if it is necessary when a positive antibody doesn't really tell you if she has an acute infection right now; possibly she had it and is 'cured' already? I might be wrong—I should've asked the vet, but I didn't think too much of it then.

Should I request PCR or just give the antibiotic as prescribed?

 

[acad]

@indianhippygirl I suggest calling the vet tech at your vet's office and asking them the questions you didn't ask while there. They have the clinical training to determine whether you should give your dog antibiotics and for how long. As a microbiologist, I can tell you that this pathogen can cause subclinical infection that may cause a host of issues down the road. If I were in this position, I'd certainly want to avoid that possibility. You can read a bit about it here but I do think your vet's office would be happy to answer your questions. And if they're not, you should find a different vet.