An integrative therapy for paraplegia dog with ehrlichiosis

An eight-months-old male Golden Retriever was referred to Veterinary Teaching Hospitalof IPB University with clinical signs of non-ambulatory paraplegia, tail paralysis, urinary and faecal incontinence, pale mucosa, and loss of sensory and motoric responses on both pelvic limbs. The hematology examination showed thrombocytopenia (125x10³/µL), monocytopenia (0.09x10³/µL),and no significant decreased of hematocrit (36.88%). Rapid diagnostic test and blood smears were positive for Ehrlichiacanis infection. Abdominalsonogram showed splenomegaly and hepatomegaly with hepatic vessels dilatation. An integrative therapy was done using medications (vitamin B-complex, cyproheptadine, methylprednisolone, doxycycline, and Fundamin E^®), herbal (Gui Pi Tang^® and Fu Fang Ejiao Jiang^®), acupuncture, micro-radar, and Tuina massage. The dog was able to walk and run after 10^th session of the intensivetreatment then discharged from the hospital after two months. One week after, the dog started dragging his toe. A customized shoe then made to prevent furtherinjury to the affected limb. The acupuncture was continued once a week for the following two months. The dog is still able to walk and run at his last visit 5 months later. This shows that an integrative therapycan give a good performance in recovering ambulation of paraplegia dog with ehrlichiosis