Fur Leech

Fur Leech

About Tick Transmitted Diseases in Dogs

For outdoor dogs, the likelihood of encountering a tick on their daily adventures is fairly high. As you may know, ticks are extremely small and difficult to detect and they can carry and transmit a number of harmful diseases. Probably the most dangerous and well known is Lyme disease.

But ticks can transmit a number of other potentially fatal diseases including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and babesiosis, a blood disorder. How does it happen? Well, there are many different types of ticks, some with names of animals like the deer tick and the dog tick. These pesky little insects are like leeches, in that they feed on the blood of animals; and when they feed they often transfer the diseases they carry to the host.
Ticks attached themselves to a host animal by stealth, hiding in the woods, the brush, or even indoors. And, although they cannot fly, glide or jump, they have a knack for locating a healthy host animal and feeding on them until the health of the animal is affected.

As we mentioned, probably the most notorious disease transmitted by ticks is Lyme disease. The name itself is an eponym that was coined after the first outbreak of the disease in Lyme, Connecticut in 1975. When the disease was first encountered, it had local doctors baffled, since infected residents were complaining of something that resembled rheumatoid arthritis, even when they had no history of the disease.

After humans were treated, it was discovered that a large number of dogs from the same area had been infected with the disease and were suffering from similar symptoms. In the ensuing years, Lyme disease has become a common disease, especially in wooded areas. It is easily transmitted to either humans or dogs, but dogs are particularly susceptible to it for obvious reasons. The most obvious of the obvious reasons is the fur coat. Ticks can hide in the coats' of canines for weeks while they slowly feed on their blood and infect them with diseases.

Some of the most common symptoms that your animal is infected with Lyme disease include: lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, and lameness. The good news, however, is that vaccinations for the disease are available for your furry friends. So, if you live in a wooded area, it is probably a good idea to take your dog to the veterinarian and have him get a shot or two.

After Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is probably the most deadly disease that dogs can contract. Fortunately, however, it is a regional disease that is often only found in New England and in pockets of the West. Again, dogs that reside in wooded areas are more likely to come down with the disease as ticks that are carriers can be found in these environs. The most common symptoms of the disease include: fever, rashes, joint discomfort, lethargy and depression.

But Rocky Mountain spotted fever is normally not as dangerous as Lyme disease because the symptoms are more pronounced and thusly far easier to identify. If it is caught in the early stages, a simple shot from the vet will put your dog on the road to recovery within twelve to twenty-four hours.

About the Author

This article was written by Kelly Marshall of
www.ohmydogsupplies.com
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