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
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