Ticks are very easy for a dog to pick during the course of a walk. Luckily they are also fairly easy to remove from their skin. But, unfortunately it is also easy to contract a dog illness caused by ticks.
There are several varieties of dog illness caused by ticks and some of them can prove to be fatal if not treated. The secret to a good prognosis is much the same as with any infection... early diagnosis and treatment. If you feel that your dog is unwell or is showing signs of fever, having trouble walking or seems to be in pain, you should seek medical attention for him as soon as possible. Other symptoms to look out for include a loss of appetite or any swelling around the joints. If you have been in an area that you think may be a prime ground for ticks, such as areas of long grass, woodland or scrubland areas and your dog seems unwell, please get him checked out and make sure that the medical staff are aware that you suspect a tick bite. Ticks are not always easy to see.
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One very worrying dog illness caused by ticks is Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The symptoms to look out for are those above but may also include a swelling of the face. You may also notice that your dog is unsteady and seems to be suffering from dizziness. This is a sign of neurological problems and could be accompanied by depression or seizures. A good many dogs suffering from the disease will show signs of blood in their eyes and could develop nose bleeds. Blood may also be present in their stools. These symptoms will appear anytime from a couple of days to two weeks after infection by the tick. Your pet could go on to suffer from other more serious problems if he does not get rapid treatment. Your veterinarian can diagnose the disease by blood test and if confirmed then he will treat it with antibiotics, usually successfully.
Lyme disease is another problem that is transmitted by tick. The symptoms can be very similar to those of Rocky Mountain spotted fever but there is often more of a chance of lameness with Lyme disease. The disease is often very difficult to diagnose so if there is any possibility that the symptoms present may be due to a dog illness caused by ticks, make sure you let the veterinarian know. Any time saved in the diagnosis of Lyme disease will help the prognosis for your pet.
A tick will draw blood from your dog, but, when you look at the size of a tick the amount it can take seems minimal. If, however, your dog were to have an infestation of ticks all having a free meal, there is a possibility that your dog could suffer from anemia. This is not a common problem as you would probably notice that amount of ticks on your pet. It is more a dog illness caused by ticks that would affect stray dogs or perhaps working dogs that live outside and do not have much human contact.
Tick paralysis is not an infection caused by ticks but a problem caused by toxins in the tick's saliva. Onset of the paralysis could be between 5 and 7 days after the tick has started to feed. Once it is becoming gorged some of the saliva containing the toxins may enter the dog's blood stream and cause the problem. It would normally take quite a few ticks to be present to cause this paralysis. Tick paralysis may affect just the hind limbs or right the way through the body to the front limbs. The problem becomes potentially fatal if it remains untreated and affects the respiratory system. The paralysis will used abate and things return to normal after the tick has been removed. Take your dog straight to the vet if you notice any paralysis as this is a dog illness caused by ticks which can be treated easily but can be fatal if left undiagnosed.
Dog Illness Caused by Ticks
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