Original scientific paper

Haematological and biochemical parameters of canine hepatozoonosis in Croatia.

Lea Vojta orcid.org/0000-0003-0040-0760 ; Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, Zagreb, Croatia
Vladimir Mrljak orcid.org/0000-0002-0723-7815 ; Clinic for Internal Diseases, Faculty for Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Relja Beck orcid.org/0000-0002-5304-2875 ; Croatian Veterinary Institute, Department for Bacteriology and Parasitology, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Infection with Hepatozoon canis has been described recently in 11.8% of Croatian dogs. Hematological and biochemical analyses of 14 apparently asymptomatic, but Hepatozoon-positive dogs were performed for the first time in Croatia. Haematological analyses showed severe eosinophilia in 9 cases (64.3%), leukocytosis in 5 (35.7%), neutrophilia in 3 (21.4%), decreased values of HCT and HGB in 2 (14.3%), monocytosis in 3 (21.4%), lymphocytosis in 6 (42.9%), thrombocytopenia in 2 (14.3%) and thrombocytosis in 3 cases (21.4%), where platelet aggregates were detected. Biochemical analyses of dog sera demonstrated highly increased ALP in 7 (50%) and ALT and CK in 2 dogs (14.3% each). AST and GGT were slightly increased in 2 (21.4%) samples. Also, β1- hyperglobulinemia, β1-hypoglobulinemia and γ-hypoglobulinemia were detected in certain samples (28.6%, 21.4% and 92.9%, respectively). Many changes in the biochemical and haematological parameters in this study correlate with previous researches, but some of them show opposite trend. We conclude that clinical signs and laboratory findings in the initial phase of Hepatozoon infection, or in the infection of weak intensity, are quite unspecific and similar to those observed in other diseases commonly found in dogs.

Keywords

hepatozoon; dogs; haematology; biochemistry

Hrčak ID:

84072

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/84072

Publication date:

4.7.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 3.343 *