I’ve often wondered what the purpose for ticks is. After all, they seem
quite useless except to bring about disease and suffering to those they deem worthy
of parasitism. Aside from being a tasty morsel of food to Guinea fowl, they seem to
exist not just as pests, which can cause anemia, but also can act as effective carriers
of diseases like Lyme disease (Borellia burgdorferi), Ehrlichiosis (Rickettsia), Rocky
Mountain Spotted Fever (yet another Rickettsia), Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis.
These are a whole lot of fancy words, but honestly, just remember that ticks can
and often do cause disease. To complicate matters, a single tick can be co-infected
with as many as two to three disease agents listed above. They are attracted to us,
and our unsuspecting pets, by heat and carbon dioxide concentrations. Once a tick
finds a suitable host, it attaches its mouth parts and begins ingesting the blood meal
while transmitting disease at the same time. Disease transmission occurs by simple
(mechanical) transfer.
An easy way to screen for tick-borne diseases is to ask your veterinarian to be sure
to use the 4DX heartworm test when testing yearly for heartworm disease. This
tests for three of the above-mentioned tick-borne diseases. If your pet seems listless
and unwell, it is paramount to take him in to see his veterinarian as soon as possible.
Tests for tick-borne illness may be indicated. If testing positive, antibiotics will be
indicated as treatment as well as possible supportive therapy and hospitalization.
Some tick-borne diseases can be life threatening, and prompt attention typically
yields the best outcome.
Lyme is the most commonly report tick-borne disease in the United States. The most
serious form is Lyme nephritis, which is an immune-mediated glomerulonephritis
with Lyme-specific immune complexes deposited in the glomeruli. Fancy words
aside, the Lyme agent couples with antibodies and compromises kidney function.
Some dogs can end up with Lyme arthritis, which is typically responsive to an
extended course of antibiotics. Those dogs who are found positive on 4DX but have
no outward clinical signs should have their urine checked for protein at the least
and possibly a blood panel complete with titer checking to better assess the state of
the disease. Each tick-borne disease has its own area of mayhem in the body with
the ability to inflict serious disease states or death.
The best way to prevent tick-borne disease is to prevent tick attachment. There
are several effective mechanisms of tick protection such as topical medications like
Frontline or Advantix II as well as reputable flea and tick-collars like the Seresto
collar, which the author favors from experience with her own pets. Large name
brand tick prevention products typically yield much better results than knock off
brands with the same active ingredients but less effective carrier molecules for drug
delivery. Unfortunately, there are no tried and true holistic alternatives that exist in
place of these products, so it is essential to stick to products that are known to work.
Your pet’s health depends on it.
Written by Dr. Angela Bross, DVM
Read more or contact Dr. Bross:
Angela Bross, DVM
Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice
Hampton Roads Virginia
757-912-5275
HamptonRoads@lapoflove.com | www.lapoflove.com
Serving Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach,
Yorktown, Isle of Wight, Smithfield and extended service areas by request.
