Tick
bites in dogs, seven diseases, symptoms, treatments and preventive measures
After fleas,
ticks are the worst problem any dog guardian can face. Ticks are not only a nuisance;
they can also take your dog’s life or cause paralysis if not treated at the
right time. If the dog is not on preventive medication, he or she might be left
completely paralyzed or worse in case of a tick bite.
For easy
reading of the blog post, I have divided the post into the following sections,
Click on the hyperlink to directly access the topic of interest.
Different
types of diseases caused by tick bites:
- Canine lyme disease
- Canine Ehrlichiosis
- Canine Anaplasmosis
- Rocky Mountains spotted fever
- Canine Babesiosis
- Canine Bartonellosis
- Canine Hepatozoonosis
Preventing ticks infestation in your house
How does tick bite work?
When a tick
bites you dog, it attaches to your dog’s skin and feeds on his or her blood. Ticks
are parasites of the hematophagous category which means blood is their food.
Ticks tend to anchor themselves to your dog’s fur and keep sucking the blood
till they are filled with blood completely. To be able to transmit the disease,
the tics have to remain attached to the dog’s skin for at least 24 to 48 hours.
However, in case of certain diseases, the transmission may happen within a few
hours of the tick’s attachment to the dog’s body.
Ticks may
also cause tick paralysis in dogs which is a deadly disease. Tick paralysis is
caused by the production of neurotoxin from the tick’s salivary glands. The
common symptoms of tic paralysis include elevation in blood pressure, muscle
weakness and stiffness, vomiting and whole-body paralysis which may lead to the
infected dog’s death.
Normally,
diseases show symptoms similar to other diseases and this is what makes them
harder to diagnose. When appendix in dogs pretesting as needed. If you suspect
your dog is suffering from tick problem, consult your rate without any delay as
tick diseases can be very dangerous to dog. Thus, to completely understand the
importance of tick prevention in dogs, one first needs to understand why are
ticks one of the most dangerous parasite to infect your dog.
The easiest
way to keep your dog safe from any kind of tick bite is to stay informed off
the outcomes often bites. Make sure to protect your pup from the following six
most common tick diseases observed in case of dogs
Let’s
have a look at the different types of diseases caused by tick bites:
Canine lyme disease
you must’ve
heard of nine disease affecting humans, but did you know that that is a canine
radiation off-line disease as well? Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria
Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease gets transferred to dogs by either the black
leg tick (lxodes scalpularis) or the deer tick (a hard bodied tick native to
North America). Transmission of this disease usually takes from 36-48 hours.
This disease is mostly seen in dogs living in the Northeast, the Midwest as
well as mid Atlantic.
Symptoms of canine lyme disease
most of the
dogs were suffering from canine lyme disease do not show any kind of
identifiable symptoms. The dogs who do display the clinical signs of Lyme
disease, mostly show symptoms around joints and sometimes involve of the
kidneys.
The primary signs of Canine Lyme disease:
- stiffness and intermittent leg lameness
- swollen lymph nodes
- fever
- visible lethargy
- Vomiting
- anorexia
- increased urination and drinking
- heart complications or other neurological issues
- difficulty breathing
Treatment of canine Lyme disease
For the
canine Lyme disease, the most common treatment of choice to go with are
antibiotics. If the Lyme disease develops severe complications like affecting
the kidneys, hospitalization and some supportive care will be needed.
How to prevent canine Lyme disease?
To prevent Lyme disease from affecting your dog, get your dog vaccinated with the Lyme vaccine. Depending on your dog’s health and your living conditions your red would be the right person to decide if your dog needs this vaccine or not.
Canine Ehrlichiosis
this is
another pretty common tickborne disease which occurs in dogs. This is mainly
caused by the bacteria, Ehrlicia canis. The problem with this microorganism is
that it can cause mighty systemic complication in the dog. This disease is
mainly caused by the brown dog tick, deer tick and the American dog tick. The
prevalence of this disease mostly in the Gulf coast and the southwest regions.
Signs and
symptoms of canine Ehrlichiosis
since this
disease tends to impact much reporting omens, the severity would depend on
factors like the immune system status of the dog, the infection’s duration as
well as the strain of the microorganism affecting the dog.
The primary
clinical signs of this disease include:
- anorexia
- Lethargy
- fever
- swollen or stiffness in joints
- bleeding issues like bleeding from the nose are bruising and body cavities
- difficulty breathing and repeated occurrence of coughing
- suppression of the bone marrow
- enlargement in spleen or lymph nodes
- ocular changes
- neurological signs and symptoms
Treatment
the primary
treatment of this disease also includes antibiotic. However, due to enlargement
of my development, additional supportive therapy might be required depending on
the status of your pup. It is best to go to your veterinarian as soon as
possible if you’re suspecting your dog to be infected with this type of tick.
The sooner the prognosis is done, the sooner the dock and report on right
medication and to be on the road to full recovery. If the treatment is started
late, there’s a higher chance of complications and difficulty in recovery.
This disease
can be divided into 3 phases:
1. The acute phase:
This phase is characterized by depression, wheezing, enlargement of the
lymph nodes, fever and anorexia.
2. The subclinca phase:
This is the phase where some dogs are able to completely eliminate the
infestation of the ticks while the others may not be able to remove them.
3. The chronic phase:
This phase generally occurs 1-4 months post the main bite. The primary
symptoms in this case include nosebleeds, inflammation of the joints, thinning,
anemia, fever as well as neurological signs and symptoms.
Prevention
so far there
is no vaccination available for canine Ehrlichiosis. Therefore, the protection
of your pup depends entirely on tick prevention methods.
Canine Anaplasmosis
Canine
anaplasmosis can have to causative organisms. The first is Anaplasma
phagocytophilum which in fact the WBCs. The problem with this microorganism is
that it can also infect humans along with dogs. The other microorganism is
Anaplasma platys which only infects a dog’s platelets.
These
microorganisms are normally transmitted by the deer ticks and are most commonly
seen in Northeast, Wisconsin, Minnesota as well as California regions in US.
Clinical signs and symptoms of Canine Anaplasmosis
Most dogs do
not show any kind of symptom of anaplasmosis. Since the incubation period of
this disease is a few weeks, the symptoms may become observable after a couple
of weeks of the tick bite. The primary symptoms are:
- Lethargy
- stiffness as well as lameness
- ocular changes
- bleeding disorders
- lack of appetite
- the less common signs of this disease are:
- enlargement of the lymph nodes
- neurological signs and symptoms
- diarrhea or vomiting
Treatment of canine Anaplasmosis
Again, for
canine anaplasmosis, the primary treatment is antibiotics.
Prevention of canine Anaplasmosis
since in this disease there is a chance of the dogs getting infected, use of the printed tick measures is extremely important.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
A lot of dog
guardians may have heard about the Rocky Mountain spotted fever. This is
something disease which is caused by the bacterium known as Rickettsia
ricketssia and is transmitted mainly by the brown dog tick and the American dog
tick. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is an acute disease and generally tends to
last for around two weeks. This disease is normally seen in south-central US
and the southeast regions of the US.
Clinical signs of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Most dogs
will suffer from Rocky Mountain spotted fever do not show the clinical signs.
However, if your dog does show signs and symptoms of this disease, they will
most include:
- Depressive attitude
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Neurological signs and symptoms
- Anaemia, other bleeding disorders
- Coughing
- Difficulty in breathing properly
- Arrythmia
Treatment of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever:
Dogs
suffering from Rocky Mountain spotted fever may need hospitalization. The
treatment for this disease mainly includes supportive care as well as
antibiotic therapy. Since there might be cases of blood abnormalities, anemia
as well as fluid loss, your dog may have to be hospitalized and kept under
observation.
In serious
cases, this disease can lead to internal hemorrhaging and lead to release of
blood in the stool and urine.
Due to this being
a zoonotic disease, there is a chance of the disease getting transmitted to the
guardians from the dog. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), confirmed cases of human infection must be reported to the
health department for documentation.
Canine Babesiosis
Babesia is a
disease caused by parasites. The parasite attacks the red blood cells of the
dog’s body. It is primary characterized by the occurrence of heomolytic anemia
due to the collapse of the red blood cells. If not treated soon, babesiosis can
be fatal for the poor dog. The transmission of this disease is mainly via blood
transfusions (rare cases) or the exchange of blood during dog fights. However,
the most common transmission mode is tick bites.
Clinical sigs of Babesiosis in dogs:
Dogs
suffering from canine babesiosis most commonly show the following symptoms:
- Jaundice or presence of pale mucous membranes.
- Lethargy
- enlargement of the spleen or lymph nodes
- fever
- exercise intolerance
- presence of blood in the urine
Treatment of Babesiosis in dogs:
Canine
babesiosis is normally treated with antiprotozoal drugs. In some cases,
antibiotics may be needed. Specific treatment would depend on the condition of
the dog as well as the Babesia species which has infected the pup. Some pups may
require a blood transfusion, IV fluids as well as hospitalization for a certain
period of time.
Canine Bartonellosis
canine
bartonellosis is caused by the bacteria Bartonella spp. One version of this
disease also affects humans and is commonly known as the cat scratch fever. In
case of dogs, the microorganism which is responsible for the transmission of
this disease has not been identified yet. However, ticks are the primary
suspect of transmission.
This disease
has been known to infect humans as well as cats along with dogs.
Clinical signs of canine bartonellosis
- ocular changes
- enlargement of the lymph nodes
- lameness
- neurological signs and symptoms
Treatment of canine bartonellosis:
this disease
needs treatment with either a combination of antibiotics or a specific
antibiotic for at least a month. If proper treatment is provided in time, the
prognosis is generally good and prompt. Since this disease falls in the
zoonotic category, it can also affect the dog guardians.
Another
reason why you must always focus on flea and tick prevention. To know more about fleas in dogs, click on this link. If you are looking for flea treatment and prevention option, then check out this link.
Tick and
flea prevention can work wonders in keeping your dog protected and away from
these diseases.
Canine Hepatozoonosis
Canine hepatozoonosis is another tick-borne disease primarily caused by two protozoan species: Hepatozoon Americanum and Hepatozoon canis. This disease most commonly affects dogs who are already affected with another disease or suffer from a weak immune system. The most common symptoms of this disease include nasal secretion, thinning, muscle and bone pain, ocular secretion, nasal secretion and finally diarrhea.
Tick prevention methods:
The major
problem with ticks is not they can cause harm to both dogs as well as humans.
Therefore, a proper year-round tick prevention method is very important. There
are many products which are available in the market which can help you with
tick prevention in your dog. Your veterinarian may recommend any of the
following tick and flea prevention products available in the market:
- K9 Advantix II
- Bravecto
- Simparica
- NexGard
Before
administering any of the above-mentioned products, have a discussion with the
right as to which one of these would be the perfect fit for your pup.
Preventing ticks infestation in your house:
There are
many ways to prevent tick infestation in and around your house. You can prevent
sticks from entering your yard by restricting the entry of animals will cause
who bring in ticks along with them like dealers. You can also apply especially
pesticides along the perimeter of your yard. One thing to be careful about over
here is that these pesticide products may have their own environmental and
health risks. So have a discussion with your vet before choosing a specific
pesticide. Keep checking this blog as I will be putting up some more tick
related posts which I’m hoping would help you out.
Few final thoughts
You are the best person to know what dog care strategy should you apply to keep your pup safe and healthy. The above blog post is not meant to scare you but to keep you informed about the risk that your dog might face. A few preventive measures may go a long way in your dog care routine and keep your pup healthy happy and safe. Let me know if you have any specific questions pertaining to this blog post. I will be happy to answer as many as I can.
See you in my next blog post
Shruti
