04/14/2021
Welcome to Educational Wednesday, everyone! ❤
This post is longer than others, and I apologize – however, this is a very important topic – and one we here at the Bridgewater / Seaside Animal Hospitals are very passionate about - TICKS.
Ticks are more than an unpleasant nuisance. They are small, bloodsucking parasites that can carry a multitude of dangerous diseases – diseases that can be transmitted to pets and humans. Prevention is the best way to protect your pet against tick-borne diseases.
March is often when the temperature starts warming up and tick prevention methods should be implemented. Ticks start looking for a blood meal at 4°C so the best time to start protecting your pet is BEFORE exposure.
Ticks can be found anywhere, from the deep woods to your very own backyard. And each year, thousands of pets become infected with serious diseases transmitted by a number of different types of ticks. Diseases like Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and others.
The diseases that many ticks carry are known as vector-borne diseases. This means the tick must feed on an infected vertebrate, and then pass the microbe to a susceptible animal or human. The risks ticks may pose to your pet can be minimized with preventative measures (topical medications, oral medications, etc.), and annual physical exams, which include a quick blood test (IDEXX 4Dx Snap Test) to screen for vector-borne diseases. This simple blood test is extremely important because symptoms of these vector-borne diseases are often vague, and difficult to recognize. Because of this, many pet owners don’t know their pet is suffering from a debilitating tick disease until it’s too late to treat.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi that may be transmitted by the deer tick or the western black-legged tick. This disease can infect our pets (most commonly dogs, cats, and horses) and humans. Lyme disease is an infection of the body tissues, and often leads to lameness. The complicated thing about Lyme disease is that the symptoms can often take several months to develop after infection, and even after the symptoms develop they can come and go, making diagnosis very difficult in both pets and humans. The most common symptoms seen with this disease in our pets are stiffness of limbs and joints, fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite.
For our canine friends there is a vaccine against Lyme disease that can prevent infection, this vaccine is highly recommended for animals living or visiting tick-infested areas. Give us call at 902-543-2931 to speak with one of our team members who are well educated on the topic of ticks. We’d be happy to answer any questions you my have.
What is Ehrlichiosis?
Ehrlichiosis has a couple different forms, and can infect dogs, cats (rarely), and humans. The brown dog tick may transmit the bacteria Ehrlichia canis, and the lone star tick may transmit Ehrlichia ewingii and/or Ehrlichia chaffeensis. This disease is an infection of the white blood cells, and often leads to decreased bone marrow function. Like Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis is also very hard to diagnose due to its vague symptoms and lengthy onset. The most common symptoms seen with this disease in our pets are stiffness of joints and limbs, loss of appetite, spontaneous nosebleeds or bruising, and lethargy.
What is Anaplasmosis?
Anaplasmosis also has a couple different forms, and can infect dogs, cats (rarely), horses, and humans. The deer tick and the western black-legged tick may transmit the bacteria Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and the brown dog tick may transmit Anaplasma platys. This disease is an infection of the white blood cells or platelets. Like the previous vector-borne diseases, anaplasmosis is also very hard to diagnose due to its vague symptoms and lengthy onset. The most common symptoms seen with this disease in our pets are stiffness of joints and limbs, loss of appetite, neck pain, neurological signs, spontaneous nosebleeds or bruising, and lethargy.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 902-543-2931. Our qualified team members are more than happy to answer any questions - and even more thrilled to book an appointment for a 4Dx Snap test and vaccine for your fur baby.
Have a wonderful day everyone! 🐾❤
