A retrospective study of vector borne disease prevalence among anemic dogs in North Carolina.

A large proportion of anemic dogs from this region test positive for exposure to or infection with VBD. Our study supported the use of PCR and serology run in parallel to maximize the chance of detecting exposure to or infection with VBD compared to either serology or PCR alone. At this time, it is unknown whether infection with VBD contributed to the development of anemia in these patients. However, given the prevalence of VBD exposure in anemic dogs, testing for VBD in anemic patients from this region of the United States is warranted.