Canine Ehrlichia canis Antibody (Rapid Test)
The Canine Ehrlichia canis antibody rapid test checks a dog's serum or blood for antibodies to Ehrlichia canis, the germ that causes tick fever (canine monocytic ehrlichiosis). A positive result shows exposure, not always active infection.
- Sample
- Serum or blood
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Antibodies to Ehrlichia canis in a dog's serum or blood
- Whether the dog has been exposed to Ehrlichia canis at some point
- A positive or negative kit result that your vet reads with blood test results
Benefits of this test
- Can help your vet check for exposure to tick fever from one small sample.
- Helps your vet decide whether a PCR or other tick fever tests are needed.
- Useful when a dog has low platelets or a fever without a clear cause.
- Read with the CBC and PCR, it gives a fuller picture of tick-borne infection.
- Can help screen dogs from tick-heavy areas when your vet advises it.
When your vet may advise it
- Fever, dullness, poor appetite or weight loss in a dog that has had ticks.
- Nosebleeds, bruises or small red spots on the gums or skin.
- A blood test shows low platelets or anaemia without a clear cause.
- Pale gums, swollen glands or weakness in a dog that lives where ticks are common.
- Before a dog gives blood as a donor, if your vet advises screening.
About this test
Ehrlichia canis is a type of bacteria that lives inside a dog's white blood cells. It is spread by the brown dog tick and causes canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, a disease many owners know as tick fever. Infected dogs may have fever, dullness, poor appetite, weight loss, pale gums or bleeding, such as nosebleeds or small red spots on the gums. Some dogs carry the infection for a long time without clear signs.
This rapid kit test looks for antibodies to Ehrlichia canis in a dog's serum or blood. Antibodies are proteins the immune system makes after it meets an infection. A positive result shows that the dog has been exposed to Ehrlichia canis at some point. It does not always mean the infection is active now, because antibodies can stay in the blood after the dog recovers. Antibodies also take time to appear, so a dog in the early stage of illness may test negative.
For these reasons, vets commonly read this test together with a Complete Blood Count (CBC), especially the platelet count. Platelets are the tiny blood cells that help blood clot, and they are often low in tick fever. Your vet may add an Ehrlichia canis PCR, which looks for the germ's genetic material. Ticks can carry more than one infection, so your vet may also suggest a Tick Fever Panel PCR. This test is for dogs only. A registered veterinarian reads the result together with your dog's signs, history and other tests, and decides whether treatment or more tests are needed.
How to prepare
No special preparation is usually needed; tell your vet about any past tick fever, recent tick control or medicines, and when ticks were last seen on your dog. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the result together with your dog's signs, history and blood tests. A positive result shows exposure, not always active infection, because antibodies can stay after recovery. A negative result does not rule out early infection, because antibodies take time to appear, so your vet may repeat the test or add an Ehrlichia canis PCR.
Questions about Canine Ehrlichia canis Antibody (Rapid Test)
What does a positive Ehrlichia test mean in a dog?
Can my dog have tick fever with a negative antibody test?
What are the signs of tick fever in dogs?
Is this the same as the Snap 4Dx test?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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Canine Ehrlichia canis Antibody (Rapid Test): Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas