Tick-borne Pathogen RT-PCR Panel for Dogs (6 Strain)
The Tick-borne Pathogen RT-PCR Panel is a dog blood test that looks for the genetic material (DNA) of six tick fever germs, typically two types of Babesia, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, Hepatozoon canis and Mycoplasma haemocanis. The exact list is confirmed when you book.
- Sample
- Whole blood (EDTA)
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Babesia gibsoni and Babesia canis - parasites that live inside red blood cells and can cause anaemia (too few red blood cells)
- Ehrlichia canis - a bacterium inside white blood cells, often linked with low platelets (clotting cells) and bleeding
- Anaplasma platys - a bacterium inside platelets that can make the platelet count drop again and again
- Hepatozoon canis - a parasite that dogs get by swallowing an infected tick, for example while grooming
- Mycoplasma haemocanis - a tiny germ on red blood cells, mostly a problem in dogs with weak immunity or no spleen
- The exact list of germs, which the lab confirms when you book
Benefits of this test
- Checks six tick fever germs from one blood sample.
- Can find infections at levels too low to see on a blood smear.
- Shows which germ, or which mix of germs, is present, which helps your vet plan care.
- Typically adds Hepatozoon canis and Mycoplasma haemocanis to the germs in the smaller panels.
- Can be used to check a dog before it gives blood, if your vet advises it.
When your vet may advise it
- A dog with fever, weakness or poor appetite after ticks were seen on it.
- Low platelets or anaemia on a blood count without a clear cause.
- Nose bleeds, bruising or small blood spots on the gums or skin.
- A blood smear that looks clear while your vet still suspects tick fever.
- A dog that had tick fever before and is unwell again.
- Checking a dog before it donates blood, if your vet advises it.
About this test
Tick fever is the common name for several blood infections that dogs pick up mostly through ticks. These germs can cause fever, weakness, poor appetite, pale gums, nose bleeds and a fall in platelets, the blood cells that help blood clot. Different germs cause very similar signs, and some dogs carry more than one at the same time. This panel uses PCR (polymerase chain reaction), a test that finds and copies tiny pieces of a germ's DNA, to check one blood sample for six germs.
The panel typically looks for Babesia gibsoni and Babesia canis, tiny parasites that live inside red blood cells, Ehrlichia canis, a bacterium that lives inside white blood cells, and Anaplasma platys, which lives inside platelets. It typically adds Hepatozoon canis, which dogs get by swallowing an infected tick, and Mycoplasma haemocanis, a tiny germ that sticks to red blood cells. The exact list is confirmed when you book. The lab also has smaller 3 strain and 4 strain tick fever PCR panels, and your vet chooses the one that fits.
A registered veterinarian reads the result together with your dog's signs, history and blood counts such as a CBC (complete blood count). PCR can pick up these germs at levels too low to see on a blood smear, but a negative result does not always rule infection out. In Bhopal, sample collection is free, and from other districts of Madhya Pradesh your vet can send the blood sample by courier or bus parcel after calling the lab. Reports are shared on WhatsApp, e-mail and in My Reports on this website.
How to prepare
A small blood sample is taken into an EDTA tube (a tube, often with a purple cap, that stops blood from clotting); fasting is not usually needed, but tell your vet about any medicines already given. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the result with your dog's signs, history and blood counts. A positive result shows which germ's DNA was found. A negative result does not always rule infection out, because the germ may be at very low levels in the blood when the sample is taken, or treatment may already have started. Your vet may repeat the test or add others.
Questions about Tick-borne Pathogen RT-PCR Panel for Dogs (6 Strain)
What is the difference between the 3, 4 and 6 strain tick fever PCR panels?
Can PCR find tick fever when the blood smear is negative?
Is the tick fever PCR the same as the Snap 4Dx test?
How do dogs get Hepatozoon canis?
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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More RT-PCR tests
Tick-borne Pathogen RT-PCR Panel for Dogs (6 Strain): 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