A dog's tick causes diseases, the symptoms of which are not always noticed right away. Therefore, after a walk, you should check if the dog has a tick. If so, remove the parasite as soon as possible. Check what to do when your dog has a tick. How to properly remove a tick in a dog and what to do if the tick breaks off? How long do the symptoms of tick-borne diseases appear? What are the complications?
The dog's tickcauses diseases, the symptoms of which are not always noticed by the owners right away. Therefore, after a walk with your pet, you should always check thatyour dog has a tick , looking for small lumps or something like pustules.
The tick can be as tiny as a sesame seed (the tick is tiny right after a dog bite, don't expect a large one, drunk with blood). If your dog has a tick, remove the parasite as soon as possible.
Where can I find ticks in my dog?Ticks like dark and moist areas on the body , so look for them especially in the ears, under the collar, under the tail, between the toes, on the elbows and under the armpit. Dogs' ticks can even be on the eyelids.
It should be remembered that ticks are present not only in forests, but also in parks and city gardens - tall grasses and forest edges and fields are places that these parasites particularly like. Ticks come to life in spring, in March / April, and remain active until October or November, depending on the temperature.
Ticks - how to outsmart them?
Tick on a dog - how to remove? What to do when a dog has a tick?
When your dog has a tick, remove the parasite as soon as possible. A dog's tick is removed in the same way as a human's, i.e.the tick should be grabbed with tweezers or a special lasso (you can buy it at the pharmacy) and gently removed with a circular motion .
Do not clamp the tweezers on the body of the tick as this may introduce its contents under the skin. Then check that the entire tick has been removed.
The tick must not be smeared with anything before the treatment, or try to tear, crush, etc.
What to do if the tick breaks off during removal and the dog's head is left in the dog's body? In such a situation, it is best to go to the vet as soon as possible.
Tick in a dog - symptoms of diseasesticks in dogs
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is an especially dangerous disease for dogs. If left untreated, it can kill your dog in just a few days. Symptoms of the disease appear 1-3 weeks after being bitten by an infected tick and include:
- high fever
- sleepiness
- anorexic
- vomiting
- in some cases red urine ("rusty urine")
There may also be atypical forms of the disease associated with the occurrence of hemorrhages and the syndrome of disseminated intravascular coagulation, which may be accompanied by severe movement, neurological, visual, digestive and vascular disorders.
Treatment should begin as soon as the diagnosis of babesiosis is confirmed.
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The dog's tick - complications
When a dog has a tick, there is a risk that it will contract a tick-borne disease.Tick-borne diseases.These can lead to complications such as interstitial pneumonia with shortness of breath, kidney problems , glomerulonephritis, arthritis, polymyositis, severe encephalitis, heart failure, paresis resulting from damage to the cranial nerves.
Erlichioza
Erlichiosis is an animal disease, less common in humans, caused by rickettsiae (bacteria) of the genusEhrlichiaand transmitted by ticks.
During the acute phase of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, which lasts approximately 1-3 weeks, dogs develop:
- apathy
- lack of appetite
- shortness of breath
- fever
- lymph nodes enlargement
- spleen enlargement
- ecchymosis and haemorrhage on the skin and mucous membranes
- nose bleeds
- vomiting
In the subclinical (latent) phase, which can last for weeks or months, dogs appear normal.
Chronic canine monocytic ehrlichiosis is characterized by very complex symptoms. You can see
- weakness
- apathy
- permanent weight loss
- fever
- lymph nodes enlargement
- spleen enlargement
- peripheral swelling on the hind limbs
- pale mucous membranes
- predisposition to bleeding with ecchymoses on the skin and mucous membranes
- mucopurulent inflammation of the eyes and nose
- epistaxis and hematuria
The most commonly used treatments are tetracyclines, of which doxycycline at a dose of 10 mg / kg b.w. administered for more than 3-4 weeks isthe most commonly used treatment regimen.In the acute form, it may be necessary to perform blood transfusionsand administer hematopoietic products.
Veterinarian Franciszek Paśko - what diseases do ticks transmit in dogs?
Sources: x-news.pl/Dzień Dobry TVN
Anaplasmosis
(until recently included in the erlichioz group)
Anaplasmosis is a disease caused by an infection with Gram-negative bacteriaAnaplasma phagocytophium , transmitted by ticks (usually of the genusAmblyommaandIxodes ).
There are two forms of the disease in dogs:
- Canine granulocytic anaplasmosis- symptoms include sudden drowsiness, fever, lameness (uneven movement, caused by relieving one (or more) painful limbs or stiff limbs), pale mucous membranes , tense abdomen, diarrhea, vomiting, ecchymosis, tachypnea, spleen enlargement, lymphadenopathy, rarely cough, uveitis, limb edema, excessive thirst, neurological symptoms
- canine cyclic thrombocytopenia- symptoms include fever, drowsiness, pale mucous membranes, petechiae. It is often asymptomatic.
It is suspected that the Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever are breeds that may show increased susceptibility to infection with the pathogen causing anaplasmosis in dogs.
As in the case of erlichiosis, the most commonly used treatment is tetracyclines, of which doxycycline at a dose of 10 mg / kg b.w. administered for more than 3-4 weeks is the most commonly used treatment regimen.In the acute form, it may be necessary to perform blood transfusionsand administer hematopoietic products.
Bartonellosis
Bartonellosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacteriaBartonella bacilliformis . They are transmitted not only by ticks, but also by fleas and mosquitoes.
The dog is infected with a tickRhipicephalus sanguineus , which is a carrierbartonelli , and through direct contact with an infected animal or contact with the environment contaminated bybartonelle .
In dogs infected withBartonella , clinical signs of disease are rare.Usually it is asymptomatic . However, in some cases, the disease may develop overt, and symptoms may occur in various organs, such as the heart (endocarditis, myocarditis).
Treatment is therefore only recommended for animals in which they appearsymptoms . In this case, the dog is given antibiotics.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is caused by spirochetesBorrelia burgdorferi .About 95 percent Lyme disease in infected dogs is asymptomatic . Others may develop 'Lyme arthropathy', characterized by lameness due to the involvement of one or more joints. Puppies may be at higher risk of developing this type of polyarthritis.
In studies of experimentally infected dogs, it was found that treatment with antibiotics did not eliminate the infection in all dogs. The drug of choice is doxycycline at a dose of 10 mg / kg bw orally once daily for at least 1 month.
European tick-borne encephalitis
European tick-borne encephalitis is a disease caused by the TBE virus (tick-borne encephalitis virus). Also known as early summer meningitis.
There is a hyperacute form (lasts 3 to 7 days), acute (lasts 1 to 3 weeks), and chronic asymptomatic (lasts months). In case reports of this disease, Rottweilers seem to be the most common.
Fever, depression and apathy dominate among the symptoms of acute and acute phases.
Dirofilariosis
Dirofilariosis is a parasitic disease that is spread to dogs, including by ticks. Infections caused by adultsD. immitiscan cause severe and potentially fatal disease in dogs and cats. Adult heartworms live mainly in the pulmonary arteries, but are sometimes found in the right side of the heart and in large vessels adjacent to it, such as the anterior and posterior vena cava. Atypical locations in the brain, eyeballs, or aorta are rare, especially in cats.
Disease caused by heartworms is usually chronic.Most infected dogs show no symptoms for years . These develop gradually and may begin with chronic coughing, followed by dyspnoea, moderate to severe, weakness and sometimes fainting after exercise.
Later, when congestive heart failure develops, swelling of the abdominal cavity and, rarely, limbs, accompanied by anorexia, weight loss, and dehydration may be observed. Artery damage is usually more severe in dogs undergoing vigorous exercise;there is rarely a sudden death , which usually occurs as a result of respiratory failure andprogressive emaciation.
A gradual elimination of the larvae is carried out over 4-8 months. Dogs with vena cava syndrome should first undergo parasite removal surgery followed by drug treatment.
Mykoplasma
Mycoplasmosis - until recently called haemobartonellosis - is a disease caused by microbesMycoplasma haemocanis- in dogs andMycoplasma haemofelis- in cats .
In the course of the disease, the dog becomes lethargic, weakened, has a high temperature, and its mucous membranes become pale.The treatment involves antibiotics from the tetracycline group (doxycycline) and they are consumed for a minimum period of 3 weeks.
Tick in a dog - how to prevent a bite?
Wondering how to prevent your dog from being bitten by a tick? There are several ways:
- spot-on for dog ticks- in the form of a liquid that is applied to the dog's skin with a pipette. The preparation penetrates the sebaceous glands of the skin and hair follicles, from where it is released along with sebum to the skin surface. It creates a 'shell' on the body, making it difficult for parasites to feed freely. It neutralizes them in the moment of direct contact with skin or hair. The dose is based on the dog's body weight. The preparation must be used once a month.
- tick collars- they work in such a way that the active substance contained in the collar is regularly released - it "spreads" through the dog. The protective collar is an effective preventive tool in the fight against ticks or fleas. It contains a carefully selected composition of essential oils that act additive and complementary. Thanks to this, they effectively discourage parasites from being in the company of animals.
- tablets- the dog swallows the flavor tablet and is protected against ticks for the next three months.
- ultrasonic deterrents- the device sends ultrasounds that block the Haller's organ in ticks. Ticks use the Haller's organ to target the host, when it is blocked, they are not able to effectively hunt. Operation range 1.5 meters. The device works for about 8 months, and sometimes even 10-12 months (it cannot be turned off). It is enough to hang the device on the dog, e.g. on a collar. The product is not waterproof.
Veterinarian Franciszek Paśko - how to protect a dog from ticks?
Sources: x-news.pl/Dzień Dobry TVN
Bibliography:
Fighting Vector-Borne Diseases in Dogs and Cats, Adapted from ESCCAP5. Second Edition - September 2012