Content
- tick disease
- The most common tick disease(s) in dogs
- Tick Disease Symptoms
- Is tick disease curable?
- Medicine for tick disease
- Home treatment for tick disease
- Home remedies for ticks on dogs
- How to prevent tick disease
Tick disease, as we will see, is a popular term that does not always refer to the same pathology in dogs or cats. What they all have in common is the form of transmission: as the name says, they are passed on by ticks. Therefore, it is normal that doubts arise about the topic, its care and treatments. To clarify and explain what are the diseases of ticks (because there are also several types), in this article by PeritoAnimal we gather important information about the symptoms, remedies and answer if tick disease is curable. We hope it's useful for you!
tick disease
To talk about tick disease in dogs, the ideal would actually be to talk about 'tick diseases', since these hematophagous parasites who feed on blood do not transmit a specific pathology, if not several. The following happens: they feed on blood, to do this, they spend hours glued to the animal's skin, until they are full - and it is precisely at this time that a tick disease can be transmitted, if it is a carrier of another parasite, bacteria or protozoan.
The most common tick disease(s) in dogs
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever: is transmitted by tick bites and caused by a bacteria of the genus Rickettsia;
- Anaplasmosis: caused by bacteria of the genus anaplasm, which are parasites that live inside blood cells.
- Canine ehrlichiosis: it is also caused by a bacterium of the genus Rickettsia and develops in 3 stages.
- Babesiosis: the hematozoa babesia gibson or Babesia kennels are transmitted through the brown tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineu);
- Lyme Disease: is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through ticks of the genus Ixodes;
- Canine Hepatozoonosis: usually affects dogs that are already debilitated by some other circumstance through protozoa Hepatozoon kennels or Hepatozoon americanum tick-borne R. Sanguineus.
In addition to these, there are other diseases that ticks can transmit. For details, we suggest reading the PeritoAnimal article about the diseases that ticks can transmit. On the other hand, if you came to this post in the case of cat with tick, we explain better in this other post the tick disease in cats.
Tick Disease Symptoms
Most of the tick diseases mentioned are characterized by non-specific symptoms. That is, they can vary and confuse a lot. Here are some of the most common symptoms of tick disease, which does not mean that a dog with tick disease will manifest them all:
- stagger
- Anorexia
- Apathy
- Arrhythmia
- Conjunctivitis
- Convulsions
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Joint and muscle pain
- Fever
- Inflammation of the paws
- Lethargy
- Mucosal pallor
- Breathing problems
- blood in urine or feces
- Cough
That's why if you suspect that your dog is sick, you need to take him to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible. If you know your dog well, you will notice changes in the animal's behavior and routine. Make a habit of watching him. Knowing is preventing. In this post about the 13 most common symptoms of a sick dog we show you how to recognize that something is not right.
Is tick disease curable?
Yes, with the exception of canine hepatozoonosis, it is possible to cure tick disease. The earlier the tick disease is detected, the greater the chances of a cure. In all cases the tick disease must be diagnosed and treatment must be prescribed by a veterinarian.. In addition to the indicated treatment, it will be essential to keep the deworming up to date and create the habit of checking the dog after the walks to look for ticks and detect the presence of wounds. If ticks are detected and eliminated, it is possible to prevent tick disease before it is spread.
Medicine for tick disease
All tick diseases have and require intensive treatment and supportive therapies that include the use of steroids, antibiotics, and specific drugs for each of the disease-causing parasites. What happens, however, is that not all dogs overcome the disease, depending on its stage or the animal's health conditions. Therefore, preventive treatment is always ideal to avoid risk.
Home treatment for tick disease
There is no home treatment for tick disease scientifically recommended. If your dog has any of the symptoms mentioned above, you need to take him to the vet. In the event of an initial tick infestation, however, getting rid of them quickly and preventing them can prevent contagion.
Home remedies for ticks on dogs
The larger the size of the tick found on the dog, the greater the chances of a transmitted disease as this means it has been feeding on blood for some time. Smaller ticks are more difficult to identify but cause redness, intense itching, swelling and rashes.
In early stages, it is possible to eliminate ticks with natural solutions such as chamomile, citrus aromas, natural oils or apple cider vinegar. In the video below we explain how these Home Remedies for Dog Ticks act:
How to prevent tick disease
We saw that in some cases tick disease is curable but the best remedy is to avoid it. Maintaining the animal's care and hygiene routine is as important as keeping the environment free of parasites. The basic tip is to make a habit of always be aware of their skin and coat, as well as disease symptoms.. Respect the brushing recommendations, according to the type of hair of the breed and keep an eye on any pets that may appear. Bath time and cuddle time are also other important times you can take the opportunity to pay attention to these signs.
As for environmental care, there are many possibilities to prevent ticks at home, ranging from commercial solutions (tablets, pipettes, collars or sprays) to home remedies. Regardless of your choice, the most important thing is follow a deworming schedule. Only then can you prevent them from reappearing and infecting animals.
To put an end to any chance of a tick infestation at home that makes tick disease possible, we suggest the instructions in the post that explains how to end ticks in the yard.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.