Starved/abused bully boy needs an angel - SF Bay Area

[Ilovethepits]

Update on Jojo: The vets ran a PCR test and it turns out he is positive for babesia. Poor guy . At least now we know what is going on and can move forward in terms of making him as healthy as possible. I am pretty sure there are some folks on this board that have dealt with it, so I am off to do a search and send some pms. Thanks for all the good thoughts for him!

I read some of the Vicktory dogs at Best Friends have that Babesia too. Maybe they are using some treatment protocols that work?

[jtalt7]

I treated a few dogs from the MO500 with babesia and my own dogs have it as well.

PM if you would like. I highly recommend sending off for titers for B.Gibsoni and B.Canis and sending it to Proteck in AZ. Dr Holland is FABULOUS and will guide you through everything, especially if your vet isnt use to treating TBDs especially Babesia.

Do you know what strain ?

[jtalt7]

It sounds terrible, and the treatment options sound kind of terrible too

Poor Jojo, I hope he can pull through it.

That article does make it sound terrible but when you talk to the specialists/pathologists that are treating Babesia it really isnt that bad. I have put a few dogs through treatment and havent had any reactions but GI upset and I treated for both strains.

What it can be is incredibly expensive unless you have a fab vet that will sell you a lot of it at cost.

[DogNerd]

thank you jtalt. I will definitely pm you. He has the gibsoni strain and just the first two weeks of treatment is around $500.

[jtalt7]

Oh the oral meds we had absolutely no problems with except a little vomiting which was cleared up with by taking a prilosec with the treatment. We went the Atovaquone and azithromycin route for our treatments. I ordered my meds through wedgewood pharmacy as I found that was the cheapest for me. I want to say cost for the Atovaquone was around $130 for a 50lb dog and the azithromycin was around $40 for the 10 day course.

We have retested all dogs since treatment (1yr out) and one of them has required further testing which will be resent this month. After we get that titer returned to us will we decide from there if we will retreat.

Not all of our Babesia dogs were treated. After we talked with Dr Holland from the lab it was determined that not all of our dogs that had a positive titer had an active infection and it was just something that needed to be monitored yearly.

I have articles on studies done on this treatment somewhere that I can pass on to you as well.

[Nickdawg]

oh no sweet boy, I know he is in great hands though and wonderful the knowledge that is here to share....

[pblove]

Oh the oral meds we had absolutely no problems with except a little vomiting which was cleared up with by taking a prilosec with the treatment. We went the Atovaquone and azithromycin route for our treatments. I ordered my meds through wedgewood pharmacy as I found that was the cheapest for me. I want to say cost for the Atovaquone was around $130 for a 50lb dog and the azithromycin was around $40 for the 10 day course.

We have retested all dogs since treatment (1yr out) and one of them has required further testing which will be resent this month. After we get that titer returned to us will we decide from there if we will retreat.

Not all of our Babesia dogs were treated. After we talked with Dr Holland from the lab it was determined that not all of our dogs that had a positive titer had an active infection and it was just something that needed to be monitored yearly.

I have articles on studies done on this treatment somewhere that I can pass on to you as well.

jtalt can you give her the tick list link for me please if you haven't done so already?
I am on a new pc and do not have access to the link on here

[jtalt7]

I will, I have found however they dont have much experience with Babesia though especially BGibsoni. I think I am the only one on there currently who has treated BGibsoni and even have had experience with it.

[Nickdawg]

how is the sweet boy???

[DogNerd]

how is the sweet boy???

He is doing fine but unfortunately isn't getting along with the other dog in the household and now has nowhere to go. His foster mom loves him and wanted to adopt him but doesn't want to have a second dog that needs to be crate and rotated so we aren't really sure what we are going to do. Lots of cards stacked against him between the lack of a foster home and the babesia and of course it has to be the more rare strain. Sigh....

[star_frances]

Any update on this guy? I so wish I was closer, I would apply to foster him in a heartbeat.