In addition to being uncomfortable and unpleasant, there are many diseases that a tick can transmit to a dog, some of them quite serious. An example is ehrlichiosis, a pathology caused by a somewhat peculiar bacterium that, among other conditions, can cause anemiain our furry ones.
What is canine ehrlichiosis?
Canine ehrlichiosis is caused by a type of bacteria belonging to the genus Ehrlichia, the most frequently involved beingEhrlichia canis This germ is characterized by being extraordinarily small and by living inside canine cells.
Ehrlichiosis is transmitted by ticks, specifically those of the genus Rhipicephalus, so protecting our pets with products with an antiparasitic effect, whether in pipette or collar format, is essential to prevent the process and preserve the he alth of our pets.
The disease causes very serious symptoms that we will study below, such as anemia or bleeding, although, as we will see later, there are several treatments with which good results are obtained.
What are the symptoms of canine ehrlichiosis?
1. Incubation phase
The incubation phase of this disease lasts for a variable , which can range from just over a week after the bite of the tick to almost a month. Symptoms are most often detected in spring and autumn, because that's when there are more ticks in between.
two. Acute phase
After the incubation period, the acute phase of the disease sets in, in which we can observe a sensation of weakness and tiredness in the dog, which is sometimes accompanied by weight loss and nasal and ocular secretions.
Although less frequently, there may also be nerve symptoms and muscle spasms. In this phase fever usually occurs and the animal's lymph nodes increase in size, and sometimes edema in the scrotumof males.
It should be mentioned that sometimes the symptoms of the acute phase do not manifest themselves or are not detected by the owners, but, in any case, they usually disappear in a couple of weeks, and a chronic disease may develop after a variable period of time.
3. Chronic phase
If the process has not been treated in the acute phase, the chronic phase is established, in which symptoms such as anemia may appear, which results in pale mucous membranes and is usually accompanied by weakness, weight loss and a feeling of fatigue.
In addition, the nosebleeds are quite common, and in some cases, nervous symptoms are manifested, as well aslameness and pain in the joints..
Other problems that can appear in the chronic phase of ehrlichiosis are eye disorders, such as uveitis, which is recognized by redness and eventual presence of spots with the appearance of clouds in the dog's eye, and, in the worst cases, retinal detachment.
Canine ehrlichiosis diagnosis
Canine ehrlichiosis can be easily diagnosed by a blood test, which should also assess anemia and platelet count, among other parameters.
In addition, check for other tick-borne diseases that often accompany ehrlichiosis, such as Babesia infections. Therefore, depending on the results obtained from the blood count for canine ehrlichiosis, the veterinarian may also perform other tests that he deems necessary.
Treatment of canine ehrlichiosis
Like most diseases caused by bacteria, Antibiotics are the curative treatment of choice for canine ehrlichiosis. In any case, since Ehrlichia is a bacterium that lives inside the dog's cells, it is able to resist the action of most antibiotics, So not all of them are effective.
In any case, doxycycline and tetracyclines, and, to a lesser extent, enrofloxacin, are generally effective. So is imidocarbamate, although it should be reserved as a last option since it has more side effects than the previous ones.
With proper treatment, symptoms of canine ehrlichiois improve within a couple of days, although treatment should not be stopped until past at least 15 days.
Additionally, a quality diet, rich in energy and easily digestible, can be of great help for the animal's recovery, especially in cases where weight loss is evident. Vitamin supplements or iron-rich food supplements can also be given as an adjunct to treatment.
The prognosis is generally very good, although chronic cases, which have been in place for a long time, are somewhat more complicated to cure.
Can ehrlichia be transmitted to humans?
As happens with dogs, through a tick bite we can also suffer from ehrlichia, although in this case it will be caused by by other bacteria, such as Ehrlichia chaffeensis or Anaplasma phagocytophilum. These bacteria are transmitted by other ticks, such as Ixodes scapularis, popular for also transmitting Lyme disease, which again affects dogs and people.
