Tick Fever

Tick Fever, as the name suggests, is a disease spread by a tick. Tick fever is one of the common and dangerous tick-transmitted diseases that we can see in all canine species. This disease infects thousands of dogs annually. This broad term “Tick Fever” identifies a group of diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Babesiosis, and Bartonellosis. 

Ticks are eight-legged parasitic arachnids, typically 3 to 5 mm long. They usually live in grassy areas and to fulfill their nutritional requirements they attach themselves to animals like dogs. While sucking blood as a diet, tick transmits disease-producing pathogens directly into your dog’s body. 

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Tick Fever? 

The symptoms of tick fever vary from one dog to another dog. The initial signs of tick fever include lethargy and inappetence. This condition takes much time to understand that something is wrong for the inexperienced owner. As the condition progresses, the owner might notice that the gum is becoming paler. 

The dog will develop a high fever initially, but after 3 or 4 days of infection, the temperature will drop. The affected dog will show other vital signs including, epistaxis or nose bleeding, blood in urine, vomiting, diarrhoea, pain in the joints and limbs, dullness, swollen lymph nodes, difficulties in breathing, etc. Red spots can be found on the lower abdomen of dogs due to a decrease in platelets in the blood.  

How do you treat tick fever?

Tick Fever is a very dangerous and life-threatening disease for a dog. It is essential to diagnose the disease as early as possible and provide treatment immediately. The prognosis for successful treatment is excellent in the case of early detection and rapid treatment. The diagnosis of tick fever by physical examination is not always reliable. A blood test can confirm whether your dog has tick fever. Thus, it is important to bring your dog to a veterinarian as soon as you have seen any of the above symptoms in your dog. 

Once the disease is confirmed, the treatment procedure should include a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is effective in curing tick fever. Since antibiotics sometimes destroy beneficial bacteria along with disease-causing pathogens, so you might prefer giving probiotics to your dogs to prevent any gastrointestinal complication. Your veterinarian may prescribe medications for several weeks depending on the disease conditions. In severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary for blood transfusion or supportive treatment such as intravenous fluid therapy. As the treatment is difficult and expensive, it is better to take precautionary measures for your dog from getting Tick fever.

How can I prevent tick fever?

To prevent this disease, the most important thing to do is remove ticks from the body of the dogs as well as from the surrounding environment of your dog. Ticks are very difficult to eliminate as they dropped off from the host’s body after feeding and shed themselves inside any furniture or grassy areas to lay thousands of eggs. So, it is important to remove them completely from the surroundings. Grooming your dog at least once a week would help to prevent tick fever. Frequent bathing with anti-tick shampoo would also help in preventing this disease. There is a tick collar available that will keep the ticks away from your dog.

However, none of these methods will ensure 100% protection from this disease. Constant vigilance!