Table 3 Primary clinical manifestations and prognosis for dogs infected with the different species of Babesia found in Europe [4]

History and features

Young dogs, adult dogs, hunting dogs/sheepdogs (German Shepherd and Komondor) that live outdoors. A greater number of cases is seen in autumn, and spring

Puppies or adult/older dogs with concomitant infectious or non-infectious diseases

Common in fighting dogs (Pit Bull Terrier and Tosa)

Young, adult dogs, guard/hunting dogs that live outdoors

Severity of disease

Moderate to severe

Mild to moderate

Moderate to severe

Moderate to severe

Clinical signs and laboratory abnormalities that differ among Babesia spp.

Petechiae, epistaxis, vomiting, lymphadenomegaly, hypotension, low T3 syndrome, mild to moderate nonregenerative, normochromic, and normocytic anaemia, regenerative anaemia (less common), leukopenia with neutropenia and/or lymphopenia, hypoalbuminemia, elevation of liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP), hypokalemia, hyponatremia, and hyperchloremia, hyperlactatemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypoglycemia, prerenal and renal azotemia

Regenerative immune-mediated hemolytic anaemia, nonregenerative anaemia, leukocytosis and leukopenia

Lymph node enlargement, enlargement of the spleen, small-bowel diarrhea, weight loss, protein-losing nephropathy, PU/PD, and abdominal effusion. Mild to severe regenerative immune-mediated hemolytic anaemia, neutropenia and leukocytosis. Hypoalbuminemia, azotemia and elevation of liver enzymes (ALT, ALP)

Azotemia, proteinuria, cylindruria and hyperglobulinemia

Course of infection related to disease manifestation

Acute

Acute and chronic

Acute and chronic

Acute and chronic?

Prognosis

Good to poor

Good

Guarded to poor

Guarded to poor

Reference

[84, 89, 106, 131, 162–167]

[84, 106, 162]

[48, 102, 132, 168–171]

[16, 35, 86, 172]