ABSTRACT
Avaliou-se a ocorrência de distúrbios na coagulação plasmática e na plaquetometria de cães infectados por Ehrlichia spp., durante 15 semanas após o contágio. Doze cães, entre machos e fêmeas, nascidos em estação experimental e com idades entre um e dois anos, foram usados no experimento. Nove cães foram infectados experimentalmente com sangue de cão naturalmente portador de Ehrlichia spp. e três foram mantidos como controle. As alterações na coagulação plasmática não diferiram entre cães infectados e não infectados. A plaquetometria oscilou durante as 15 semanas entre 61x10³/μL e 830x10³/μL, e o menor valor médio foi de 113x10³/μL na sexta semana após a infecção. Concluiu-se que a coagulação plasmática não apresentou alterações significativas nas 15 semanas após infecção e que a contagem plaquetária oscilou entre valores normais, elevados e reduzidos durante esse período.
The effect of Ehrlichia spp. in plasma coagulation and platelet count in dogs during 15 weeks after contamination was evaluated. Twelve male and female dogs one-to-two-year-old were born in the experimental station and were used for the experiment. Nine dogs were infected with blood of dogs naturally bearing Ehrlichia spp., and three were kept as controls. The variation of plasma coagulation did not significantly differ between infected and uninfected dogs. The platelet count oscillated during the period from 61x10³/μL to 830x10³/μL, and the lowest mean value was 113 x 10³/μL at the sixth week after contamination in infected dogs. In conclusion, the plasma coagulation did not significantly change and the platelet count oscillated between normal, increased, and reduced values during the first 15 weeks after Ehrlichia spp. contamination in dogs.