Ehrlichiosis, Canine - contd.
Diagnosis is achieved most commonly by serologic testing of the blood for the presence of antibodies against the Ehrlichia organism. During the acute phase of infection, however, the test can be falsely negative because the body will not have had time to make antibodies to the infection. Thus, the test will need to be repeated if the first result is negative. In addition, blood tests will show abnormalities in the numbers of red cells, white cells, and platelets. Uncommonly, a diagnosis can be made by looking under a microscope at a blood smear for the presence of the Ehrlichia organism, which sometimes can be seen within a white blood cell.
