Pit bull mix with Ehrlichia & chronic limping. What's the next step?

Question

Have an 8 yr old pit bull mix- has been diagnosed with Erlickia, (sp) has had several treatments of Antibiotics- lameness in hind leg, (going on for almost a yr now) puts leg down sometimes and uses more on soft ground, eating and drinking fine, she goes swimming and seems to use leg more afterwards. Vet wants us to take her to specialist for ultrasound. $600 + What should be our next step? More blood tests? another round of antibiotics? What other treatment can be done? Thank you. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 65 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

If you have not had x-rays done of the hind limb, I would definitely consider this. If you have been on several treatments for the Ehrlichia, I would also recommend that you have a Ehrlichia PCR performed to see if Savanah is still positive for the disease or if she has been successfully treated. This is more expensive than the test most clinics run in their own lab. The difference between the two tests is that the snap test we use for an immediate result checks for antibodies to Ehrlichia versus fragments of the disease itself like the PCR detects. If still no improvement and x-rays are completely normal, I would then seek a second opinion with a specialist for further testing / treatment options. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed. Please remember to rate this post as helpful or not. Thank you!

Pit bull mix with Ehrlichia & chronic limping. What's the next step?

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