Tick borne canine illnesses

Ticks are not just annoying little pests that occasionally latch onto your pet.  Ticks transmit diseases, both to humans and to canines.  Some of the tick borne illnesses are not terribly serious but several of them certainly are and require veterinary treatment.

Preventing ticks from attaching to the dog is the best way, besides avoidance, to prevent tick borne illnesses.  There are several products on the market that repel and/or kill ticks.  Lorie Huston, National Pet Health Examiner and veterinarian, wrote an excellent article on the various flea and tick preventatives for pets to help owners choose what is best for them.  Other than applying a high grade topical, avoid areas with high tick populations, such as the woods and high grasses.  Inspect pets often for ticks as part of the normal grooming and remove them, carefully, if necessary.  Lawns can also be treated to reduce the tick population using a high quality pest control, such as Ortho Max.

Tick borne illnesses include Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme Disease, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  While there is a vaccination for Lyme Disease that is recommended for dogs at high risk, such as hunting dogs who are often in wooded/grassy areas, it is not of the highest efficacy according to the American Animal Hospital Association's report. 

Babesiosis, or Babesia Infection, is caused by a Babesia infested tick feeding on a dog for several days and passing the Babesia sporozoites into the dog's bloodstream.  The parasites attach to red blood cells, which the immune system then recognizes as an invading entity and destroys.  Destruction of too many red blood cells leads to anemia.  Babesia infection also leads to reduced clotting ability through the severe inflammation caused by such a large activation of the immune system, which could cause a dog to bleed out if injured.  Some dogs may be infected but asymptomatic.  Signs of Babesia infection include lack of appetite, weight loss, fever, lethargy, nasal discharge, and enlarged lymph nodes.  There are also several clinical signs that may aid the veterinarian in diagnosing Babesia infection along with a blood culture to view the parasites on the red blood cells.  Babesia infection responds to a number of treaments, including doxycline, and options should be discussed with a trusted veterinarian.

Ehrlichia infection is a bacterial infection in the white blood cells contracted from infected ticks.  There are different types of Ehrlichia infection but the most common canine infections are Ehrlichia canis and Ehrlichia ewingii.  Both types in the initial infection will cause loss of appetite and lethargy with possible fever and enlarged lymph nodes.  These infections also cause decreased clotting ability but, unlike Babesia, Ehrlichia can lead to neurological disorders and kidney disease.  There are tests to identify Ehrlichia infection and treatment is simple with Doxycycline.  Therefore, if a dog exhibits any of these signs, especially in conjunction with a previous tick bite, a veterinarian should be seen for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Lyme Disease in dogs is much different than in humans.  For an infected human, symptoms are harsh and some patients have recurring symptoms for years.  In dogs, the infection is not nearly as dramatic, though it can cause chronic joint issues similar to arthritis.  Lyme Disease is caused when, that's right, an infected tick feeds on its host and passes Borrelia burgdorferi into the bloodstream.  Disease transmission generally requires at least 48 hr after the tick has attached.  Prevention is the best course of action for Lyme Disease, but if contracted, it can be treated in canines by administering antibiotics Doxycycline or Amoxicillin.  Rarely in some dogs, Lyme Disease can lead to kidney disease due to longterm exposure to antigens from the infecting Borrelia burgdorferi. Considering the low number of dogs who ever become sick from infection, the fairly simple treatment, and the risk of vaccination, Lyme Disease vaccines are not often recommended.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is much like the other tick borne illnesses described above with signs including fever, anorexia, coughing, vomiting and diarrhea, and possible facial edemas.  Fortunately, RMSP responds to antibiotic treatment with Doxycycline or Tetracycline.

If a dog exhibits any sign of tick borne illnesses, especially if there is knowledge of tick bites, a veterinarian should be consulted quickly.  Early treatment is the key to preventing longterm effects.

Please see Babesia infection in dogs, Ehrlichia infection in dogs, Lyme Disease, and the Merck Veterinary Manual for Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.