The Pharma Innovation Journal 2022; SP-11(3): 253-256

ISSN (E): 2277- 7695

ISSN (P): 2349-8242
NAAS Rating: 5.23 Therapeutic efficacy of homeopathy (Crotalus horridus)
TPI 2022; SP-11(3): 253-256
© 2022 TPI and allopathy (Doxycycline) drugs in Canine
www.thepharmajournal.com
Received: 23-01-2022 ehrlichiosis
Accepted: 26-02-2022

G Daniel Risheen G Daniel Risheen, Kanchan K Walwadker, KK Mishra and Snigdha

Department of Veterinary
Medicine, College of Veterinary Shrivastava
Science and Animal Husbandry,
Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Abstract
Sciences University, Jabalpur, Canine ehrlichiosis also known tropical "canine pancytopenia and Nairobi bleeding disorder is an
Madhya Pradesh, India
earmarked rickettesial disease caused by an intracytoplasmic parasite Ehrlichia canis, seen in circulating
Kanchan K Walwadker
monocytes and lymphocytes. Itis characterised by fever, neurological, ocular signs and bleeding through
Department of Veterinary natural orifices in the form of epistaxis, hematemesis and dermal petechiae, lymphadenomegaly,
Medicine, College of Veterinary splenomegaly. Different treatment regimens have been tried with various success rate. Alternative
Science and Animal Husbandry, therapy such as homeopathy have been tried and found to be effective, less toxic and cost effective. The
Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary present study was carried out in the Department of Veterinary Medicine, COVS & AH, Rewa.
Sciences University, Jabalpur, Therapeutic trial included four groups, Healthy group as control (Group I), Allopathy (Doxycycline)
Madhya Pradesh, India group (Group II), Homeopathy (Crotalus horridus-200C) group (Group III) and Allopathy +
Homeopathy group (Group IV). The resolution of symptoms in dogs along with time duration for
KK Mishra hemato-biochemical parameters to return to normal values, were used as criteria for deciding therapeutic
Department of Veterinary efficacy of different drugs. Present study revealed that combination therapy, group III (Allopathy +
Medicine, College of Veterinary Homeopathy) is better as compared to group I (Allopathy) or group II (Homeopathy) as the values of
Science and Animal Husbandry, haemogram and thrombocyte count increased and the monocyte count, liver and values returned to
Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary
normal at a faster rate in comparison to other groups.
Sciences University, Jabalpur,
Madhya Pradesh, India
Keywords: Ehrlichia canis, Crotalus horridus, doxycycline, homeopathy, rickettsial diseases
Snigdha Shrivastava
Department of Veterinary Introduction
Medicine, College of Veterinary Canine ehrlichiosis also known as canine rickettsiosis, canine hemorrhagic fever, canine
Science and Animal Husbandry,
typhus, tracker dog disease, tropical "canine pancytopenia and Nairobi bleeding disorder (Price
Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary
Sciences University, Jabalpur, and Sayer, 1983) has been observed as an emerging and earmarked rickettsial diseases. In
Madhya Pradesh, India recent years, there is growing recognition of the importance of rickettsial pathogens in dogs
and humans worldwide because of their severe pathogenicity leading to significant morbidity
and mortality (Nilcholson et al., 2010). It is currently reported throughout the world but at
higher frequencies in tropical and subtropical regions (Suksawat et al., 2001) [13] due to
presence of their vectors. The disease also affects dogs, other domestic and wild animal
species as well as humans (Dumler et al., 2001) [4].
Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the brown dog tick, is the most widespread tick in the world and is
a well-recognized vector of Ehrlichia canis (Smith et al., 1975) [11] and occasionally humans.
A variety of clinical symptoms like fever, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, depression, anorexia,
diarrhoea, depression, lethargy, neurological, ocular signs, and bleeding through natural
orifices in the form of epistaxis, hematemesis, hematuria and melena have been reported
(Kumar and Varshney, 2006) which vary considerably in severity and frequency of occurrence
in the initial and terminal phases of infection. It is a multisystemic disease with three distinct
infection phases: acute, sub-clinical and chronic. The outcome of the latter form is death
(Mylonakis et al., 2004) [9].
Doxycycline has been identified as the drug of choice for treating canine ehrlichiosis. But it
Corresponding Author has some side effects in dogs which include nausea, indigestion, vomiting, photosensitivity,
G Daniel Risheen and loss of appetite (Tripathi et al., 2008) [14]. Doxycycline also causes hepatotoxicity and
Department of Veterinary nephrotoxicity in long term use. Alternative therapies with homeopathy medicines which more
Medicine, College of Veterinary
Science and Animal Husbandry, effective, less toxic and cost effective have been tried by some workers with satisfactory
Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary results (Chaudhuri and Varshney, 2007) [2]. Reports on comprehensive study on these
Sciences University, Jabalpur, homeopathy medicines for the treatment of Ehrlichia canis are pertinently lacking.
Madhya Pradesh, India
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Studies on the prevalence of canine ehrlichiosis in Rewa Biochemical parameters like ALT, AST, Total Protein, Serum
(M.P.) are also lacking. Therefore, the present study was albumin, serum Globulin, Blood Urea Nitrogen and Serum
undertaken with an objective to study the comparative creatinine were determined using the serum obtained from the
efficacy of allopathic and homeothapic (Crotalus horridus) blood samples. The data is analyzed as per standard method
anti-ehrlichiosis drugs in affected dogs. as described by Snedecor and Cochran (1994) [12].

Material and Methods Results and Discussion

The cases of ehrlichiosis for the study were screened from Efficacy of the therapy was evaluated on the basis of time
those presented to Medicine outdoor patient department duration of recovery period, percentage of reduction in the
(OPD) at Veterinary Clinical Complex (V.C.C.) of the clinical symptoms (pyrexia, dermal petechiae, anorexia, etc.)
College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry and from and improvement in the haemogram values. Based on these
private clinics in and around Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. A total parameters a rough score card for evaluation was prepared as
of eighteen ehrlichia positive dogs based on blood smear and follows: Negative (-) = No change, Positive (+) = Fair
PCR were selected and randomly divided into three groups Improvement, Positive (++) = Mild Improvement, Positive
(n=6) for the therapeutic trial. In addition, six apparently (+++) = Moderate Improvement, Positive (++++) = Good
healthy animals were taken in control group for comparative Improvement.
studies of therapeutic trial.
Treatment was carried out for 14 days by forming four Group I (Doxycyline)
groups, Healthy group as control (Group I), Allopathy In this group all the affected dogs were treated with
(Doxycycline, Doxypet 300- ®Savavet Pharm. Ltd. @10 mg Doxycyline @ 10 mg/Kg Bwt. PO OD for 14 days. Clinical
kg/Bwt.) group (Group II), Homeopathy (Crotalus horridus- improvement was noticed on 7 day post treatment and on 14
200C-Dr Reckeweg& Co. GmbH, Berliner Ring 22, 64625 day post treatment all dogs showed complete clinical
Bensheim, Germany @4 pills qid) group (Group III) and recovery. Hematological parameter showed gradual increase
Allopathy + Homeopathy group (Group IV). All the dogs will in Haemoglobin, TEC, PCV, and platelets count post
be given ancillary treatment with NSAIDS (Meloxicam, treatment and on day 14 post treatment, all the parameters
Melonex–®Intas Pharma Ltd.) @ 0.2mg/kg Bwt, and antacid returned to the normal range but towards the lower limit in the
(Pantoprozole, Pantop-40-® Aristo Pharma. Ltd @ 1mg/kg reference range as compared with healthy control (Table 1).
bwt). Supportive treatment with Haematinics (aRBCRakkt-
®Vetoquinol Pharma. Ltd.), liver tonics, multivitamins, fluid Table 1: Degree of improvement in clinical parameters in animals at
therapy, antiemetic Metochlorpramide @ 0.2-0.5mg/kg b. wt.) different intervals in group I
were given as per requirement and according to symptoms Days
produced. Animals
0 3 7 14
Blood samples were collected aseptically from all the 1 ---- ++-- +++- ++++
eighteen animals in the study group including the animals in 2 ---- ++-- ++-- +++-
healthy group. The samples were taken from 3 ---- +--- ++-- ++++
cephalic/saphenous vein on day 0 (pre-treatment) and 3rd, 7th 4 ---- +--- ++-- +++-
and 14th day (post-treatment). About 5 ml of venous blood 5 ---- ++-- +++- ++++
sample was collected from each animal, using dry disposable 6 ---- + +- - ++-- ++++
syringe. Immediately after collection, about one ml blood was
transferred to EDTA (@1.5 mg/ml) vials for complete blood Findings in the present study of doxycycline therapy for 14
count (CBC). days corroborate with the reports of Breitschwerdt et al.
The remaining four ml of blood was transferred into a clean (1998) [1] who reported therapeutic efficacy of doxycycline in
and dry test tube without any anticoagulant and allowed to eliminating ehrlichia from dogs at the dose rate of 10 mg/kg
clot in slanting position for about one hour and then serum bwt OD daily for 14 days. Harrus et al. (2004) [5] who
was harvested gently after centrifugation for 10 minutes at reported clinical recovery of infected dogs by 72 hrs post
2,000 to 3,000 rpm. The supernatant serum was collected treatment with doxycycline and complete clinical and
carefully in a dry eppendorf with the help of micropipette and hematological recovery from acute phase of infection along
finally well labelled sera samples were preserved at -20oC in a with elimination of ehrlichial DNA from blood and splenic
deep freeze for further biochemical estimation. aspirates at 16 days post treatment onwards. They further
Monitoring of treatment response in ehrlichiosis in dogs was suggested that the duration of doxycycline treatment should
done on the basis of Blood smear examination, be reduced to 16 days which would reduce the cost, probable
Haematological and Biochemical studies. Thin blood smear side effects and risk of antibiotic resistance.
were prepared and stained with standard stains and examined CME is usually successfully treated with antibiotics that
under microscope again on 3rd, 7th and 14th day (post- belong to the tetracycline family. Doxycycline is an effective
treatment) for presence ehrlichia organisms. Reduction in the drug against ehrlichiosis in dogs and when dogs are treated in
number of infected monocytes and positive changes in DLC the acute phase of ehrlichiosis, they improve quickly, within
and thrombocyte count were used as criteria to monitor the 24-48 h, with good prognosis (Harrus et al., 1997) [6].
efficacy of treatment. Several researchers have reported complete response in the
For haemato-biochemical studies, 3 ml blood was collected majority of cases with doxycycline therapy at 5 mg/kg twice
aseptically from all the animals in the study group including daily or 10 mg/kg once daily for 4 weeks (McClure, 2010) [10].
the animals in healthy group. The samples were taken on 0,
3rd, 7th and 14th day. Haematological parameters like Hb, Group II- Homeopathy (Crotalus horridus 200C)
TEC, TLC, DLC, PCV and thrombocytes were studied as per In this group, dogs were treated with 4 pills QID for 14 days
standard laboratory procedures described by Jain (1986). with homeopathic drug Crotalus horridus in the dilution of

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200C. Clinical improvement was noticed on 9 day post Group III- Combination Group (Allopathy and
treatment and on 14 day post treatment all dogs showed Homeopathy)
complete clinical recovery. Hematological parameter showed In this group, dogs were treated for 14 day with a combination
gradual increase in Haemoglobin, TEC, PCV, and platelets of allopathic drug (Doxycycline@ 10mg/kg bwt) and
count post treatment and on day 14 post treatment, all the Homeopathy (Crotalus horridus200C@ 4 pills QID). Clinical
parameters returned to the normal range but towards the lower improvement was noticed on 3rd day post treatment and on
limit in the reference range as compared with healthy control 14th day post treatment all dogs showed complete clinical
(Table 2). recovery. Hematological parameter showed gradual increase
in Hb, TEC, PCV, and platelets count post treatment and on
Table 2: Degree of improvement in clinical parameters in animals at day 14 post treatment, all the parameters returned to the
different intervals in group II normal range but towards the lower limit in the reference
Days range as compared with healthy control (Table 3).
Animals
0 3 7 14
1 ---- +--- ++-- +++- Table 3: Degree of improvement in clinical parameters in animals at
2 different intervals in Group III
---- ---- +--- ++--
3 ---- +--- ++-- ++++ Days
4 ---- +--- ++-- +++- Animals
0 3 7 14
5 ---- +--- ++-- +++- 1 ---- ++-- +++- ++++
6 ---- ---- ++-- ++-- 2 ---- ++-- +++- ++++
3 ---- ++-- ++++ ++++
Tungnunga et al. (2016) [15] studied the therapeutic effect of 4 ---- ++-- +++- ++++
homoeopathic medicine Crotalus horridus 200C on 5 ---- ++-- ++++ ++++
ehrlichiosis in dogs in an endemic area of Aizawl district of 6 ---- ++-- +++- ++++
Mizoram state of India and reported that the drug showed
satisfactory results in treating E. canis infection. They Combination of allopathy and homeopathy is likely to
reported that reduction in parasitaemia in case of Crotalus synergize the effect due to interaction of several drugs acting
horridus was slower as compared to that seen in case of on parasite at different targets and thus is beneficial in
doxycycline treatment group but overall clinical efficacy of suppressing parasite growth and activity. Also, homeopathic
the homoeopathic drug was comparable with modern drugs work at nano levels and they might also play an active
allopathic drug doxycycline. role in improving the immunity of the animal thereby
Homeopathic drug have been used in the treatment of various
mitigating the infection at a faster rate when given in
animal diseases (Macleod, 1981) [7]. Many allopathic drugs
combination with allopathic medicines.
against ehrlichiosis show various side effects including
toxicity to different organs and so they are not been approved
for clinical use. When the dog has liver problems, the use of Comparative therapeutic evaluation of all the treatment
doxycycline should be reconsidered. In any case, liver groups
function tests should be performed before and during In the present study, based on the earlier clinical
treatment; when liver parameters increase, the treatment improvement, lowered degree of parasitemia, improvement in
regime should be stopped. the values of haemogram and thrombocyte count increased,
Homeopathic drugs however have not been reported with decrease in monocyte count and faster rate of return of liver to
adverse side effects, they are economical and have long term normal in comparison to group I (Allopathy) or group II
beneficial effects. Crotalus horridus is indicated for fluid (Homeopathy), group III (Allopathy + Homeopathy) was
haemorrhages, yellow skin and black vomit. It affects blood, considered as the most efficient drug combination against
heart, and liver and producing profound nervous shock with ehrlichiosis followed by group I and group II.
trembling and prostration. There is a similarity between the The therapeutic study revealed that group III (Combination
symptoms of Crotalus horridus and ehrlichiosis caused by E. Therapy) was considered as the most efficient drug against
canis in dogs. Therefore, the drug was used in the study trial. ehrlichiosis followed by group I and group II. The order of
Murphy (2002) [8] reported Crotalus horridus as a drug of drug efficacy against ehrlichiosis in dogs on the basis to
choice for haemorrhagic diathesis. These properties of recovery from parasitemia and clinical improvement is
Crotalus horridus matched well with the clinical manifestions Combination>Allopathy> Homeopathy. (Fig.1)
of ehrlichiosis in the present study.

Fig 1: Comparative therapeutic evaluation of all the treatment groups

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