Baby Boomers Guide to Dog Ticks

By Boomeryearbook.com

Since dog ticks do not usually harm people, they can be seen as an almost harmless nuisance. Fortunately, in the case of humans, by and large it usually is. The same can’t be said for dogs, and lack of awareness of what dog ticks or tick-borne diseases (TBD) can do to your pet can have disastrous consequences.

The first sign of a problem is a number of symptoms such as a general lack of health, unexplained feverish spells, lethargy, and lack of appetite and in extended cases: anorexia. You sense that something is wrong but you and your Vet may be unaware that it is TBD and thus are treating the symptoms of a syndrome rather than the underlying disease. When such symptoms present yourself, always be on the lookout for TBD as a possible culprit.

Called ‘ehrlichiosis’ in veterinarian science, TBD has an extensive number of bacterium that are borne by different types of ticks. As some ticks are more common in some places than others, particular types of TBDs are prevalent in different parts of the country. The most common is Ehrlichia canis and German Shepherds are known to be prone to the disease. In most TBDs, including E. Canis, the basic area of attack is the bone marrow of the dog that is of central importance to the immune system. As a consequence, the immune system of the dog is compromised and your pet gets sick easily, and sometimes this leads to an undiagnosed case and thus the Vet treats each and every illness separately without understanding that they are all related.

The transmission of TBD is generally the same. People are often prone to believing that cleaner environments compared to farms or dumps means that TBD won’t be a problem. However that’s not the case. Ticks latch themselves on to the dog’s skin; near the ear, under the legs, neck and shoulder. It penetrates the skin with pincers which also keeps it in place. Bacteria are transmitted through these pincers that feed and mate through the host’s (your pet’s) blood. If you find a tick on your dog, take a pair of tweezers to the tick’s head and remove it completely as you do not want it to become even more embedded into your beloved dog’s body. Ticks are really dangerous to your dog as they can not only transmit bacteria but can also sometimes cause temporary paralysis while secreting chemicals; a condition called ‘tick paralysis’.

Aside from E. Canis, other types of TBD are Ehrlichia ewingii, Anaplasma platys, Neorickettsia risticii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Each type varies in the type of tick that bears the disease, the regions where they are more prevalent, the severity of the problems they cause and the manner they infect and sicken the dog. Invariably, if left untreated and on entering the chronic stage of a TBD, dogs usually die with organ failure or another disease that doesn’t respond to medicine, giving it the awful recognition as “quiet dog killer”.

After being briefly introduced to TBDs, some precautions can be made to avoid this dreadful problem. One of the first things is to keep your dog as clean as possible while closely observing its skin for any strange lumps, which can be an indication that a tick has latched onto your pet. Also be on the lookout for any repeated sicknesses, loss of appetite and the other symptoms noted in the above mentioned Article One. Also, keep your pet’s environment clean; it may not prevent ticks but it may lesson infestation.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So please use monthly dog and flea preventative measures and let your Vet check out any suspicious symptoms your pet may be exhibiting.

www.boomeryearbook.com is a free social networking site connecting the baby boomers generation. Whether you are a member of the baby boomers generation or are related to someone who is, you will find plenty to do here. Free psychological articles on a vast variety of topics such as dream analysis, coaching and self-help, elderly problems, examinations and proposed solutions for types of discrimination along with weekly updates on mental and medical health. You can also become a non-member subscriber to our free newsletter to receive these articles directly in your inbox so you don’t miss out.

At Boomer Yearbook you can share your thoughts, upload pictures and find old friends, or use our online optical illusions and brain games, provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner, to expand your mind and help ward off the possibility of depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s. Join now to discover the numerous ways in which this online social networking site for the baby boomers and boomers of all ages can contribute to optimal physical and emotional wellness. The baby boomers generation changed the world. We’re not done yet!

Bayb Boomers Guide to Dog Ticks

By Boomeryearbook.com

Our precious dogs are definitely part of our families, yet unlike our human loved ones, our four legged relatives can not tell us where they may hurt or if they are feeling sick or uncomfortable. And since for the most part human and canines exhibit “different” signs of illness, it’s therefore quite understandable that we two legged creatures become confused in trying to interpret our pet’s symptoms. Fortunately, that’s where our Vets come into play as by and large our dog health providers, (and some very experienced dog owners) manage to avoid pitfalls or misinterpretations in dog symptoms and their related causes. However, there is one notable exception that can defy diagnosis by even the most seasoned Vet; that being dog tick-born disease (TBD).

Oftentimes ticks are mistakenly believed to result from “unsanitary” environmental conditions such as a neglected farm house or otherwise non-hygienic environment wherein TBD is seen as something lurking around just waiting to infect your dog. But this is far from the truth and can frequently catch a dog owner unaware as ticks do not discriminate and dog tick infestation is found in many upscale sanitized suburban neighborhoods. All dog owners need to be proactive in avoiding TBD (by using monthly preventative medications) as well as being on the lookout for all signs and symptoms as TBD can be difficult to diagnose and if left untreated can be fatal for your beloved pet.

Complicating matters further, some dogs who don’t have full blown symptoms of TBD are nonetheless carriers (i.e., think Typhoid Mary of the dog world), as dog ticks can live on other animals, can survive in non living environments such as dog bedding, towels, shoes and boots, carpets, or even hiding out in car upholstery just waiting for an unprotected dog to present itself for a good tick feed. While dog ticks are usually not interested in attaching themselves to people and are thus harmless to us 2 legged creatures, (remember we are talking about dog ticks illness TBD, not Deer ticks which can bring Lyme Disease to people), dog ticks love our dog’s blood and can easily latch on and cause problems. Some dogs tend to recover from a dog tick infection, however, a pet can be chronically sick, showing no or seemingly inconclusive symptoms, and can be gradually deteriorating before our unsuspecting eyes. Please be on the lookout as TBD can be solved if detected and treated early and of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—ALWAYS remember to apply your dog’s monthly tick and flea medication.

Step one after seeing symptoms- get your dog to the Vet for a proper diagnosis. Your Vet will check your dog’s skin for lumps, either large or small, that may be latched on ticks. Second, be on the lookout for these possible symptoms of TBD:

1. Changes in appetite
2. Changes in urine and feces color
3. Your dog’s immune system might seem more vulnerable than it once was with evidence of lethargy, loss of appetite, fever and anorexia.

Any of the above may be a sign of onset of a TBD problem, and must be checked. Initially, TBD may be quite subtle but eventually, if untreated, TBD or ehrlichiosis can cause death.

There are various types of TBD with Ehrlichia canis being the most common, followed by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma platys, and Neorickettsia risticii. Each type, bacterium and tick alike, have various prognoses that share basic signs – but some are more treatable than others depending on the stage of the disease. The one thing they all share is deception, as TBD can mimic other illnesses. For example, tick paralysis is frequently misread as epilepsy, wherein the poor animal has a fit with momentary paralysis that looks like an epileptic attack. In fact, it’s a neurotoxin released by a tick into the bloodstream. Less dramatically though, lethargy, loss of appetite, fever and anorexia are signs seen in infected dogs.

Apart from recognizing that your dog might have TBD and taking him to a good Vet, other precautions are also possible. TBD doesn’t necessarily develop if you see a tick on your dog. Removing it is a precaution worth taking, however, care must be taken by removing it with a curved Kelly forceps, tweezers or a tool made for that purpose. Routine checking and keeping your dog clean are great ways to be proactive and not allow TBD to harm your pet.

Whatever the precautions taken TBD can still occur. The best solution is a general awareness of TBD, an understanding of your dog’s health, and early detection and treatment.

www.boomeryearbook.com is a free social networking site connecting the baby boomers generation. Whether you are a member of the baby boomers generation or are related to someone who is, you will find plenty to do here. Free psychological articles on a vast variety of topics such as dream analysis, coaching and self-help, elderly problems, examinations and proposed solutions for types of discrimination along with weekly updates on mental and medical health. You can also become a non-member subscriber to our free newsletter to receive these articles directly in your inbox so you don’t miss out.

At Boomer Yearbook you can share your thoughts, upload pictures and find old friends, or use our online optical illusions and brain games, provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner, to expand your mind and help ward off the possibility of depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s. Join now to discover the numerous ways in which this online social networking site for the baby boomers and boomers of all ages can contribute to optimal physical and emotional wellness. The baby boomers generation changed the world. We’re not done yet!