| Summary: | Eight hunting dogs were visited by a state veterinarian on the island of Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, as owners reported anorexia and paralysis in five of their dogs. The veterinarian observed a combination of clinical signs consistent with tick-borne illness, including fever, anorexia, anaemia, lethargy and paralysis. Blood and ticks were collected from each dog and submitted to a diagnostic laboratory for analysis. Microscopic analysis revealed a mixed infection of intracytoplasmic organisms consistent with <i>Babesia</i> spp. (erythrocyte) and <i>Ehrlichia</i> spp. (monocyte), respectively, from one dog, while a complete blood count indicated a regenerative anaemia (n = 1; 12.5%), non-regenerative anaemia (n = 4; 50%), neutrophilia (n = 3; 37.5%), lymphocytosis (n = 2; 25%), thrombocytopaenia (n = 3; 37.5%) and pancytopaenia (n = 1; 12.5%). DNA isolated from the eight blood samples and 20 ticks (16 <i>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</i> and 4 <i>Amblyomma ovale</i>) were subjected to conventional PCR and next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene for <i>Anaplasma/Ehrlichia</i> and <i>Babesia/Theileria/Hepatozoon</i>, respectively. The DNA of <i>Ehrlichia</i> spp., closely related to <i>Ehrlichia canis</i>, was detected in the blood of three dogs (37.5%), <i>Anaplasma</i> spp., closely related to <i>Anaplasma marginale</i>, in two (25%), <i>Babesia vogeli</i> in one dog (12.5%) and seven ticks (35%) and <i>Hepatozoon canis</i> and <i>Anaplasma</i> spp., in one tick (5%), respectively. These findings highlight the need to test both the vector and host for the presence of tick-borne pathogens when undertaking diagnostic investigations. Further studies are also warranted to elucidate the susceptibility of canids to <i>Anaplasma marginale.</i>
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