A retrospective study of clinical use of recombinant human erythropoietin for treatment in anemic dogs with canine monocytic ehrlichiosis from an animal hospital in Bangkok, Thailand

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) is an important tick-borne transmitted disease in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. Its major laboratory findings include thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and anemia. Recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO), a glycoprotein hormone that stimulates the proliferation, maturation, and differentiation of erythrocytes, has been generally used for treatment of anemia in dogs with CME-induced severe anemia. Evaluation of treatment with r-HuEPO in dogs with CME with or without concurrent renal insufficiency has never been addressed. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical use of r-HuEPO in CME-induced anemic dogs. A retrospective study was performed for the period from January 2006 to November 2006 in dogs admitted to Chulalongkorn Small Animal Teaching Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. Dogs were divided into two groups based on clinical signs of normal and abnormal kidney function, respectively. The laboratory based parameters of hematology and serum biochemistry profiles of CME-induced anemic dogs before and during r-HuEPO treatment were measured weekly. The results revealed that all the dogs in both groups had an erythroid response to r-HuEPO treatment. Exogenous administration of r-HuEPO had no effect on leukocyte and platelet counts as well as serum biochemistry in these dogs. It is likely that the clinical use of r-HuEPO is a very important approach to be considered in the management of severe anemia in dogs with ehrlichiosis.