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According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council , ticks are found throughout the United States and many ticking specie have dramatically expanded their range in recent years . check mark on dogs are n’t just a nuisance — they can also transfer some dangerous disease . To keep your dog protected , it ’s significant to understand the risks of tick sharpness and vernacular check mark - expect disease they transmit .
Let ’s take a feeling at six of the most common tick - borne illnesses in the United States and how they can touch your dog-iron ’s health .
How Do Ticks Transmit Disease?
dog are infect with check - borne sickness when they are bite by aninfected tickor , in some eccentric , when they ingest an infected check . Ticks on weenie must remain attached long enough to convey the disease – some diseases take as small as a few hours to transmit while others may require as much as 1 - 2 day of attachment for infection to occur . After transmission , the brooding period ( the prison term it takes for symptoms to seem ) diverge from Clarence Shepard Day Jr. to calendar month look on the disease .
Diseases channel by check can be prevented by keeping your dog on a monthly sponge preventative medication such asSimparica TRIOchewable tablets . Let ’s take a smell at some dangerous tick - borne disease that can be a threat to your heel , to underscore the importance of year - beat tick shelter .
6 Dangerous Tick-Borne Diseases
check - borne unwellness vary in their symptom and severity , but all of them have the potential drop to cause serious sickness or even end . Timely diagnosis and appropriate discussion are essential to ensure your firedog has the best possible outcome .
Lyme Disease
Lyme diseaseis most vulgar in the northeastern , upper midwestern , and west coast regions of the United States . It is cause by a bacteria which is send by the following types of check mark :
The majority of wiener infect with Lyme disease remain symptomless . In 5 - 10 percent of septic dogs , symptoms develop within 2 - 5 months of contagion . symptom of Lyme disease in dogs can include pyrexia , lethargy , loss of appetite , joint pain , stir leg lameness and swollen lymph nodes . In rare cases , a serious and sometimes fatal status called Lyme Bright’s disease can occur , in which Lyme disease causes a reformist kidney unsuccessful person .
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics . Doxycyclineis the most commonly used antibiotic for treating Lyme disease , but other antibiotics such as amoxicillin , azithromycin , or cefovecin may also be used . Your veterinarian may also order an anti - incitive medicinal drug to help alleviate the joint pain that can be due to Lyme disease . For patient with Lyme nephritis , hospitalization and fast-growing fluid therapy are necessary to endeavor to forestall kidney unsuccessful person .
For dogs with uncomplicated Lyme disease , the prognosis is good and most start to show improvement within 24 to 48 hours of get down intervention . For dogs with Lyme nephritis , the prospect is inadequate .
There is aLyme disease vaccinefor dog that is usable at most veterinary clinic . Speak with your veterinary surgeon about the Lyme vaccine if you live in an area where Lyme disease poses a significant threat .
Anaplasmosis
Anaplasmosisis find in the northeastern and upper midwest region of the United States , as well as along the west sea-coast . Anaplasmosis is because of bacterium which is transmitted by the same types of check mark that channel Lyme disease . infection occur most commonly in recent spring through twilight .
Many dogs infect with Anaplasmosis are symptomless . Those that do develop symptoms often display signs such as phlegm , loss of appetite , fever , evaporation , swollen lymph nodes , weight loss , pale mucus membranes and lameness .
Anaplasmosis is treated with oral antibiotic such as Vibramycin , minocycline , tetracycline or chloramphenicol . Your veterinary surgeon may also prescribe an anti - incitive medication to help alleviatejoint painthat can occur as a result of anaplasmosis transmission . When treated appropriately , the prospect for pawl infected with anaplasma is very good .
Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosiscan be divided into two subtypes : canine monocytic ehrlichiosis ( CME ) , which is beam by the dark-brown frump check , and granulocytic ehrlichiosis , which is transmitted by the lone star tick .
CME is most common in the southwestern and southeastern United States , while granulocytic ehrlichiosis is most mutual in south cardinal and southeastern United States , principally in the spring and summer .
Dogs infect with ehrlichiosis may have few or no symptom . Symptoms vary depending on the type of ehrlichiosis infection . Dogs infect with granulocytic ehrlichiosis most commonly show symptom including loss of appetite , lameness , stiff pace and sluggishness .
Dogs infected with CME will show symptom such asdepression , dehydration , pyrexia , loss of appetite , weighting loss , vomiting , looseness of the bowels , enlarged lymph nodes and bleeding abnormalities .
Ehrlichiosis is treated with antibiotic drug such as doxycycline , minocycline , tetracycline , or chloramphenicol . Your veterinarian will prescribe an appropriate antibiotic and dose regimen for your Canis familiaris .
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Rocky Mountain Spotted Feveroccurs chiefly in the southeastern , midwestern , western , and mid - Atlantic region of the United States . Infections most commonly occur from March to October . The disease is because of a bacteria broadcast through the bite of several case of check mark including the American dog check , Rocky Mountain wood tick , lone star tick and brown dog tick .
Infections can range in austereness from mild to calamitous . Less severe cases may have few or no symptoms of infections . Other cases cause symptom such as depression , loss of appetence , muscular tissue pain in the neck , vomiting , impuissance , weightiness release , bruising and nosebleeds . stark case may go on to multi - organ failure and may develop extra symptoms depending on the reed organ systems affected .
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is treated with antibiotic drug such as doxycycline , tetracycline , enrofloxacin , or chloramphenicol . Your veterinary surgeon will choose an appropriate antibiotic drug and dosage regimen for your pet .
Severe cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever may need additional supportive therapy such as intravenous fluid , sex hormone , or blood products . Most dogs reply rapidly to antibiotic and medical prognosis is splendid for those diagnosed and treated too soon in the course of disease .
Babesiosis
Babesiosis occurs throughout the world , but in the United States infection are more common in the southerly land . This disease is most normally transmitted by the dark-brown dog check mark species , but can also be transmitted by several other types of ticking include the deer check , American dog check mark , and theAsian longhorned ticking .
infection with Babesia spp . often produce no symptoms . dog that do develop symptoms typically see restrained to severehemolytic anemiaalong with febricity , lethargy , passing of appetence , bruise , vomit , discolored urine , hemorrhage , impuissance , pallor and nose bleeds .
Treatment of Babesiosis depends on the species of Babesia causing the infection . turgid Babesia mintage are do by with injectant administer by your veterinary surgeon . Small Babesia species are more difficult to care for and may be address with a combination of unwritten medicament .
Your veterinarian will determine the dependable form of intervention for your domestic dog base on the character and severity of the contagion . In severe casing , supportive upkeep such as unstable therapy or blood transfusion may also be warranted .
Hepatozoonosis
Canine hepatozoonosis is found worldwide . In the United States , it is most common in southern states . It most oftentimes involve young frank under 2 years of geezerhood and is spread out by the browned dog ticking . Unlike the other tick - borne diseases , hepatozoonosis is transmitted by ingesting an infected check , not by being bitten by one .
Many septic dogs are asymptomatic or have minimum symptoms . bounder that do display symptom may know sluggishness , loss of appetite , weight release , fever , dehydration , lividness and enlarged lymph node . The disease can be debilitating or even fatal .
The goal of treating hepatozoonosis is to extinguish the parasite from the blood stream and ease clinical signs . While treatment is often successful at cut symptoms and ameliorate timber of life history , it is very difficult to completely sack the sponge and a cure for this disease is unlikely . handling for hepatozoonosis typically involves injections allot by your veterinarian at one to two - week separation . Alternatively , your veterinary surgeon may dictate a combination of oral medicament such as Procox , clindamycin , or doxycycline . Hepatozoonosis may require intervention for a year or longer .
Tick-Borne Disease in Dogs Infographic
How to Prevent Tick-Borne Illnesses in Dogs
check - borne illnesses can be well prevented by keeping your Canis familiaris up to escort on flea and tick preventive medicinal drug class around . There are several excellent product on the market in both cuttable and topical formulations , such as Revolution orSimparica TRIO .
Revolutionis a monthly ethical drug topical solvent for bounder that is administered on the pelage of the dog , usually between the shoulder blades . It ’s good against American dog ticks and can also keep heartworm disease , flea , ear mites , and canine sarcoptic mange . rotation can be used on Canis familiaris and puppy 6 week of age or quondam . Simparica TRIOis demonstrate to defeat five species of ticks to aid protect your hound from a wide range of tick - borne diseases . This flavored prescription drug chewable tablet also provides an extra level of protection against flea , heartworm disease , ringworm , and hookworms . This monthly treatment can be used for dogs and puppies at least 8 weeks old , matter a minimum of 2.8 pounds .
Your veterinary surgeon can aid you choose a product that is dependable , effectual and best suit to your needs , budget , and your ducky ’s preference . Keep in head that dosage for parasite preventative are based on the weight of your dog , so be certain to pick out the correct dose amount for your pup .
In addition to preventative medications , be sure to thoroughlyexamine your dog for ticksafter expenditure clip in wooded areas , grandiloquent grassy meadows , or other areas where ticks are commonly find . Ticks on dogs must be bind for hours to Day so as to channel disease , so transfer a tick as soon as possible can help foreclose tick - borne illnesses in your andiron .
