Dogs are man's beloved pet. Some even considered them as part of the family. Just like a human child, house dogs are given special attention by their owners. house dogs are blessed for the reason that they are fed, groomed and well taken care of. Whenever the dog is unwell, it is taken to a special doctor for animals known as veterinarian. Clearly, one of the most common health complaints when raising dogs are tick invasion.

Ticks are pests. Some say that they belong to the same family of spiders and mites. They are arachnids, although many still think that ticks are insects. Ticks are damaging because they are vectors to a number of diseases. As mentioned earlier, they suck on their hosts. By this mechanism, they transfer diseases from one host to another.

The most common symptoms of tick bites are fever, sudden loss of appetite, irritation, swelling in the area, lethargy and depression. For proper prognosis and treatment, dog owners must report these symptoms right away to their vet.

If tick bites are ignored, it can advance and become serious. Complications from tick bites often have general symptoms. It is consequential to know the different complications of tick bites in order to arrest the condition as soon as possible. Cited below are some of them:

Ehrlichiosis

Brown dog tick bites and lone star tick bites are the most common causes of this condition. Rickettsia organism is the causative agent. It is bacteria. But some say that it is a virus because it produces flu-like symptoms. The general symptoms of this disease range from loss of appetite to fever, joint discomfort, anaemia and bruising. Other possible symptoms are eye inflammation and decrease levels of all types of blood cells. Generally, the management for Ehrlichiosis includes antibiotic treatment like doxycycline or tetrachycline.

Anaplasmosis

This condition is often misguided as Ehrlichiosis because their symptoms are relatively the same. Pets that are suffering from Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis can show signs of fever, headache, muscle pain, chills, nausea and lethargy. On the other hand, they have different causative factors. If Ehrlichiosis is caused by Rickettsia organism, Anaplasmosis on the other hand is caused by Rickettsia parasite of ruminants. Same management with Ehrlichiosis, antibiotic therapy is the best management for Anaplasmosis.

Tick Bite Paralysis

This particular condition is very atypical in dogs. When the female wood or mountain ticks release a poison, this disease usually follows. This toxin blocks the signal between the nervous system and the muscles. When the nerve operation is lodged it consequently results to paralysis. Watch out for signs of weakness, difficulty of breathing and walking. The most effective management for tick bite paralysis is elimination of ticks. Once the tick is removed, the pet is on its way to recovery. Nonetheless, complete recuperation is achieved in twenty four to seventy two hours. If symptoms on the other hand become severe or if the paralysis has progressed intravenous fluid may be given or the dog may require a ventilator to assist in breathing.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

This is a serious complication and most of the time lethal. Some countries call this disease as tick typhus and Tobia fever. The disease is transmitted by the bite of the Rocky Mountain wood tick or the American dog tick. Rickettsia then enters the dog in the tick spit. The most common signs and symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are hypothermia, nausea and vomiting, decrease in desire for food, muscle pain and headache. Late signs of the disease are Petechial and maculopapular rash, abdominal and joint pain. Doxycycline is the medication of choice for the management of this disease.

Tick bites should not be taken for granted. It can bring about complications and the symptoms are very frightening. Prevention is still best key to deal with tick invasion. So be sure to maintain a tick free home surroundings!

About the Author

Manage fleas with Frontline for dogs. Frontline flea and tick is potent in killing all stages of fleas and ticks.