When we insist on the importance of both internal and external deworming of dogs, we don't do it just for hygienic or aesthetic reasons, but because parasites such as ticks, which we will talk about in this article on our site, which are capable of transmitting serious diseases.
Next we will explain what we can generically call tick disease in dogs, as this parasite is the necessary vehicle for transmission, although in reality there will be several pathologies that we will review. Keep reading:
Tick bites in dogs
Ticks are blood-phagous parasites, which means they feed on blood. To get it, they not only bite the dog, but also remain anchored to it for hours, until they are completely full of blood. It is during this time that the transmission of the tick disease in dogs occurs and it happens when the tick carries inside it some parasite that will pass into the blood Of the dog.
Sometimes, some ticks contain a poison in their saliva that causes what is called tick paralysis. This condition causes weakness and, as its name suggests, paralysis, which progresses to cause respiratory arrest.
Below we will detail diseases that dogs can contract from ticks. Its severity helps us understand the importance of establishing and maintaining an adequate deworming schedule.
Tick diseases in dogs
The diseases that ticks transmit to dogs are as follows:
- Rocky Mountain Fever
- Anaplasmosis
- Erlichiosis or ehrlichiosis
- Babesiosis
- Lyme's desease
- Hepatozoonosis
In general, these are serious ailments that have potentially fatal consequences. The symptoms of these diseases are nonspecific. We will see them in more detail in the following sections. Any of these signs is reason for veterinary consultation
Rocky Mountain Fever
This fever is one of the tick diseases in dogs that causes rickettsia, which are bacteria-sized parasites that must They live inside cells. It is a zoonosis, that is, it is transmissible to humans. More cases usually occur coinciding with the season of greatest expansion of the tick. Its symptoms include apathy, fever, anorexia, cough, conjunctivitis, respiratory problems, swollen legs, joint and muscle pain, unsteady gait,seizures or arrhythmias Some dogs also bleed and may have blood in their urine and stool.
Anaplasmosis
This tick disease in dogs is due to the bacteria of the anaplasma genus, which are parasites that must live indoors of blood cells. It is also a zoonosis. The signs that alert us to its presence are quite nonspecific, that is, they are common to numerous diseases. They include fever, lethargy, anorexia, limp, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, seizures, anemia, enlarged lymph nodes, pale mucous membranes, cough, uveitis, edema, etc.
Erlichiosis or canine ehrlichiosis
It is a tick disease in dogs Caused by ehrlichia, which is a rickettsia. The clinical picture develops in three phases. The acute phase is characterized by fever, depression, anorexia, wheezing, and enlarged lymph nodes. Symptoms consistent with encephalitis also appear in some dogs. After this phase, it passes to the so-called subclinical. In this period, some dogs will be able to eliminate the infestation while others evolve into a chronic phase, between 1 and 4 months after the bite. At this time the prominent symptoms are weight loss, fever, anemia, nosebleeds, joint inflammation and a neurological picture.
Babesiosis
Babesia is the protozoan that causes this tick disease in dogs, which is characterized by the appearance of hemolytic anemia due to destruction of red blood cells. This process, if it cannot be stopped, can lead the animal to death. Other symptoms are fever, exercise intolerance, blood in the urine, jaundice or pale mucous membranes. There will also be an increase in the size of the spleen and liver.
Lyme disease or borreliosis
This tick disease in dogs is caused by the spirochete bacteria called borrelia It is more prevalent in peak tick season. The beginning of this pathology is a limp. There may also be joint swelling, fever, weakness, lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, and kidney problems.
Hepatozoonosis
Hepatozoonosis is another of the tick diseases in dogs caused by protozoa It mainly affects animals that were already weakened by some other circumstance. Its symptoms include diarrhea, which may contain blood, bone and muscle pain, which makes that the dog does not want to move, both ocular and nasal discharge or weight loss.
How is tick disease cured in dogs?
The treatment of all these diseases is usually intensive and includes support therapies, corticosteroids to stop hemolytic anemia, antibiotics or specific drugs against the causative parasites. Although a cure is possible, we insist on the importance of prevention, because there are many dogs that, unfortunately, are not going to be able to overcome the disease. Hepatozoonosis is treated with antiprotozoal drugs but there is no cure.
In any case, to the treatment prescribed by the veterinarian it is essential to add antiparasitics, which we must administer throughout the year. In addition, if we walk through areas where there may be ticks, we will check the dog when we get home in case it has any attached. Taking them out quickly will prevent the transmission of any of these diseases.
Is tick disease contagious in dogs?
The diseases that we have mentioned are not transmitted between dogs but if one has ticks it is likely that the animals around him have also possibilities of being bitten by these parasites, that's why we must apply deworming products to all the animals that live together, cats included.
If our question is whether tick disease in dogs is contagious to humans, the answer is the same as in the previous case. Dogs do not transmit the disease to people directly, but ticks can bite and infect humans
That is why we insist, once again, on controlling these diseases in the simplest way, which is the deworming of domestic animals to prevent the spread of the tick population.
