This can be a relatively common rickettsial disease caused by the organisms E. canis and E. ewingii, although other rickettsia can handle causing ehrlichiosis. The condition is transmitted by the bite of the brown dog tick and, occasionally, other tick species. Ehrlichiosis occurs mainly in the Gulf Coast area, the eastern seaboard, the Midwest, and California. Away from Usa it's distributed worldwide. Some of the Ehrlichia species happen to be renamed and therefore are now listed in scientific literature as Anaplasma platys.
Ticks get the rickettsia by feeding with an infected host. A number of wild and domestic animals function as reservoirs. Due to the chronic nature, cases of ehrlichiosis are noticed year-round, not only throughout the tick season.
The condition occurs in three phases. Throughout the acute phase, your dog develops fever, depression, lack of appetite, difficulty breathing, enlarged lymph nodes, and, occasionally, signs and symptoms of encephalitis. These symptoms might point to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, or canine distemper.
2 to 4 weeks following the onset of the acute phase, your dog enters a subclinical phase that lasts weeks to months. Some dogs get rid of the infection throughout the subclinical phase; others progress towards the chronic phase. There will be considered a breed disposition for developing chronic ehrlichiosis; German Shepherd Dogs and Doberman Pinschers, for instance, are in increased risk.
Throughout the chronic phase, which appears one to four months following the tick bite, the condition attacks the dog's bone marrow and immune system, producing weight reduction, fever, anemia, a hemorrhagic syndrome with spontaneous bleeding and nose bleeds, swelling of the limbs, as well as other neurological signs. These signs might point to leukemia. Infections of E. ewingii usually show arthritis as well.
A serologic blood test (IFA) is sensitive for E. canis. However, the exam might not be positive until 2 to 3 weeks following the tick bite. A brand new ELISA test continues to be developed that checks for Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and heartworm.
Treatment: Tetracycline and doxycycline are impressive against rickettsiae, and should be given not less than one month. Improvement in the acute phase begins within one to 2 days. Supportive treatment involves intravenous fluids and blood transfusions. The outlook for recovery is great if treatment begins before your dog develops bone marrow suppression.
Prevention: Tick control may be the mainstay of prevention. Ticks don't infect dogs until they've been attached for 5 to twenty hours. Therefore, examining pets who've been roaming in tick-infested areas, and promptly removing ticks, can prevent many infections.
Dogs living in places that the condition is endemic could be protected giving a minimal dose of oral tetracycline (1.3 mg per pound or .45 kg of bodyweight) or doxycycline (0.45 to 0.90 mg per pound or .45 kg of bodyweight) every Twenty four hours. However, this really is rarely necessary. Using Frontline or Advantix to manage fleas also kill ticks for approximately Thirty days carrying out a single application. Collars containing amitraz will also be effective in controlling ticks.
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