A case of Babesia gibsoni in a 3 year old Bernese Mountain dog

Abstract

Babesia is an intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite that is transmitted via tick vectors or other types of blood to blood transmission such as blood transfusion or dog fights. There are two main types of babesia that are known in dogs, Babesia canis and Babesia gibsoni. The latter is more uncommon in the United States and harder to effectively treat. In this paper, a case of Babesia gibsoni in a 3 year old Bernese mountain dog is entailed. In this case, an overview of canine babesiosis is depicted and the different treatment options that are available are compared.