Journal of Animal Health and Behavioural Science

Use of enrofloxacin hydrochloride-dihydrate (enro-c), for the treatment of acute cases of leptospirosis in dogs

Abstract

Hector os sumano

Fluoroquinolones are not recommended to treat canine-leptospirosis (1). However, pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin HCl-2H2O (enro-C) in dogs and Monte-Carlo simulations against Leptospira spp. (2) prompted a clinical study to treat acute cases of leptospirosis. The disease was initially diagnosed based on clinical signs, and liver and kidneys blood parameters (3). Later, real-time PCR from blood and micro-agglutination titers (MAT ≥ 800) confirmed or dismissed each case for this study (4, 5). In all cases an early treatment was established. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the gold-standard control one (GSC-g) who were treated initially with high doses of amoxicillin (20 mg/kg tid, IV) for five days, followed by a 2-week course of doxycycline (22 cases); and the experimental group (enro-CEg) whose cases were treated with IM injections of a 5% aqueous enro-C suspension (10 mg/kg/day for 10 days), followed by 1-week of enro-C administered orally (34 cases). Supportive therapy with fluids, electrolytes and urinary output assessment were set for all patients. Dog ages ranged from 1 to 5 years in both groups. In GSC-g 13 cases were regarded as treatment failure (59.09%), and were treated out of this protocol. All dogs in enro-CEg were regarded as a treatment success (100%). One month later 100% negative results from real-time PCR in urine samples was observed in all dogs from the enro-CEg, while only 77.77% (7 dogs from the remaining 9 treated) of the GSC-g were PCR-negative. Within 6–24 months of clinical follow-up, no relapses were recorded in either group. Adverse effects in the enro-CRg were inconsequential while various gastrointestinal adverse events were reported in the GSC-g. Results from this trial validate the Monte Carlo simulations with enro-C that predicted good efficacy to treat canine leptospirosis. Furthermore this report ensures high clinical and bacteriological cure rate successes.