Tick-borne infections in dogs

Ticks are arachnids that feed on blood to stay alive. They house themselves in furs and feathers of various birds and animals. Removing a tick as soon as you notice it or any symptoms leading to it is important. Tick season generally starts from early spring and lasts till late summer. As a pet owner you should be aware of the outcomes of a tick bite. There are many diseases that are caused by ticks. Some of them that you should be aware of are:

·         Lyme disease

Also known as Lyme borreliosis, it is one of the most common disease caused by ticks. Lyme disease can also be caused in humans by tick bites. Symptoms that the dog shows when bitten by an infected deer tick that causes Lyme disease are:

1.      Loss of appetite

2.      Fever

3.      Lethargy

4.      Inflamed Joints

5.      Shifting leg lameness

If any of the above symptoms are present in your dog, take to him to the vet for a checkup. After performing certain test and confirming the presence of Lyme disease its treatment will be carried out. Certain antibiotics will be prescribed the vet for curing the infection. Apart from the medications, therapies are also helpful in treating the dogs.

·         Rocky mounted spotted fever

It is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii organisms. A tick transmitted disease, affects both dogs and humans. The symptoms of rocky mounted spotted fever are:

◦     Fever

◦     Bleeding

◦     Depression

◦     Pain in joints

◦     Loss of appetite

◦     Swollen lymph nodes

◦     Swelling

◦     Reduced level of activities

Take your dog to a vet for proper diagnosis and once the disease has been diagnosed, vet will provide antibiotics, depending on the dog's age. Prevention can be done by using tick repellent products on the dog. There is no vaccine available to treat this ailment so prevention should me must.           

·         Ehrlichiosis

Tick-borne disease caused by Ehrlichia Canis, these organisms causes infection in the blood of the dog. This bacteria is spread by brown dog tick and Lone star tick. 

Symptoms that the dog may show are:

1.      Anemia

2.      Fever

3.      Depression

4.      Lethargy

5.      Appetite loss

6.      Shortness of breath

7.      Joint pain, stiffness, and bruising

8.      Weight loss

9.      Bleeding

10.  Hind leg swelling

The treatment of this disease should ensure the proper elimination of the organisms. Standard antibiotic therapy combined with anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the swelling is done for the wellness of the dog. In severe cases, blood transfusion and fluid therapy is recommended.

·         Babesiosis

It is an infection caused by Babesia species. The severity of the infection depends upon the type of species that has infected the blood of the dog and the immune system of the dog.

Babesia are small parasites that infects the red blood cells of the animal. They occur mostly in warm climate because at this time the tick population is in abundance.

The infection can be spread from one animal to the other by blood transfusion, dog-dog transmission by bites and wounds. A pup can also inherit this disease from their mother. Signs of having babesiosis are:

1.      Fever

2.      Weakness

3.      Lethargy

4.      Pale gums and tongue

5.      Red urine

6.      Jaundice

7.      Enlarged nymph nodes

8.      Enlarged spleen

Safety Measures For Heartworms In Puppies

A deadly parasitic disease, heartworms, are a terror for all the dog owners. Heartworms are spread by infected mosquito bites, who chose dogs as their definite hosts. With this one bite to your precious pet, he gets the larvae in his bloodstream. If you have seen the longs strands of heartworms even in a picture you would not want this to happen to your pooch even in your worst dream.

There are various preventive measures for heartworms but what will be better, Home remedies or Medicines?

Let me provide with you a list of both of them and then you decide what's best for your pup.

Preventing and curing a disease with the most convenient resources available at your home can be easily done. Some of the best ways to cure and prevent heartworm infection by these chemical-free components are:

·         Black Walnut

It is a good herb that prevents heartworm in the canines. It contains cleaning properties which are present in the intestines of the dog's body. Consumption of this herb enhances the metabolism of the pet's body and are less likely to become a victim of heartworms.

·         Wormwood

A well-known cure that has to be used with extreme caution. It is one of the oldest treatments to get rid of these parasitic worms. It works as a toxin which eliminates the heartworms.

·         Cloves

Available in every household, this is also a safe remedy for heartworms. They kill and prevent the growth of heartworm larvae in pooches.

·         Carrots

They produce anti-parasitic compound which are safe for consumption and provides vitamins and minerals as well. Carrots have proved to be effective in getting rid of worms.

·         Garlic

Although garlic is considered as toxin for puppies but a very minute amount can be used to improve your dog's health. Garlic has various healing properties like anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic and insect resistant. Hence, its resistant property helps in repelling away mosquitoes and also kills the larvae ingested in the pup's system.

Now, lets have a look at a few medicinal cures that will help in preventing as well as curing heartworms:

·         Advocate for Dogs

Along with dog heartworm control preventive measure, it also works on other parasites. Single dosage is effective for a month.

·         Dimmitrol Tablets

It's an absolute treatment for heartworm prevention. Oral intake of these tablets on a daily basis destroys the larvae stage of the heartworms thus preventing from infection.

·         Heartgard Plus Chewables

Effectively eliminates the immature stages of heartworms in the pup's body. An ideal heartworm prevention treatment. It seems like tasty treat for dogs as they are beef chewables.

·         Nuheart for Dogs

A generic chewable preventive Nuheart prevents heartworms as efficiently as Heartgard does. It is an affordable treatment measure ideal and safe for dogs/puppies at least 6weeks old. 

Pet's Safety- Avoid these blunders

Food is essential to life, therefore, make it hygienic whether it is for you or your pet. Pet's diet should be closely watched and carefully provided to them. Any mistake in feeding, may lead to health problems and intestinal infections. All kinds of pet food are available in the local market and online for the pet owners. 

Pet's diet should be first discussed with the vet. Preferably, buy those pet food products that your vet has recommended.

Some of the feeding mistakes that should be highly avoided are:

·         Providing Unbalanced Diet

Vitamins, minerals, proteins are all essential for your pet's growth. Providing them in correct quantities helps the proper growth of your pet. Supplement of any one of these elements in abundance can cause imbalance in the pet's body, hampering their growth.

·         Over-treating

Loving your pet and showing affection towards them is appreciable. Most common gesture is to provide them with treats. But, over-treating your pet deteriorates their well-being.   

·         Pet-Friendly Food

It's a general psychology of people that human food can be fed to the pets. But awareness of the fact that most of the human edibles are poison to the pets is necessary. Although many fruits and vegetables are nutritious for your pet's health, avoid salt, pepper, avocado, grapes, onion, garlic. Try and provide boiled and minced eatables for easy digestion.  

·         Avoid Leftovers

Fresh food keeps the pets fit. Feeding your pet last night's food just not to throw it away is unhygienic and does not depict a good habit. Leftovers are not an option to feed your pets. It hampers with your pet's health and risk their lives. This food undergoes bacterial activity which doesn't suit the dog's health causing infections.

·         Interchanging Pet's Food

It is often observed that the pet owners think all the pet's food are similar. This misconception can cause serious damage to your pet's health. All the pets require a different type of diet, which also depends on their age and breed. If your pet is ill, consult a vet for the appropriate diet that they should be fed.

·         Over Feeding

It's the pet owner's duty to give proper quantity of food to the pet, neither less nor more. The pet bowls in which they are fed are not supposed to be full all day. If such things happen, your dog will become obese. Feeding your pet at fixed time intervals of time is suitable for their health.

·         Gastrointestinal Infections

If there has been frequent changes in a pet's diet or he has been given some different food to eat which the pet might be allergic to causes infection in the stomach. Symptoms that your pet might show are diarrhea and vomiting. Take your pet to the vet where proper diagnosis can be done followed by the treatment.

Feeding your pet with raw food should be first consulted by a vet and then carried out. Raw food has its own pros and cons.

Feed your pet with all the nourishing supplements that will enhance its growth. With the different breeds and the age factors, food quality and quantity differs.

Preventing basic blunders will guarantee your pet's health safety.