TICK FEVER?- But my dog never has ticks!!!
I can't tell you how many times a week I had to lead the same conversation during my stay in Belize.
If you live in an area where ticks are seasonal, or present all year round, and your dog is not on any tick preventative medication, your dog will have ticks.
Tick fever is a bacterial disease (Ehrlichia canis in particular, the one I was dealing with daily in Belize). It is sometimes manifested by a short lasting fever and non specific signs (ex. vomiting, lethargy, inapetence...). However, most of the time this disease is sneaky and missed by the owner. The animal does not develop immunity to it, and can get infected as many times as a tick that carries the bacteria attaches to their skin and drinks their blood.
The bacteria will hide in a certain population of the host's immune cells and if left unrecognized and untreated, remain in the body as a chronic illness with life threatening potential.
The worst turn this chronic form can take is IMHA, Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. At this point, the host's immune response was triggered to react to it's own red blood cells, where they are basically being destroyed intravascularly...leaving your dear companion with no means of oxygen transport, not being able to recover from the anemia at a pace fast enough to save their lives.
Last Christmas (how many of you continued this with: 'I gave you my heart'...?) we had 4 cases of IMHA in the clinic at the same time...1 survived. They are not the only 4 cases of IMHA that we have seen though...Based on my experience, we had approximately 10 IMHA's diagnosed per year, half of those require immediate hospitalisation, 75% of that half don't make it.
Tick fever is relatively easily diagnosed. An acute infection (which occurred within two weeks from when the animal is presented in the clinic) can be diagnosed with a quick snap test. Infections older than that, as well as those occurring acutely, can be detected by making a blood smear and checking it under the microscope. Both tests are affordable, and can save your dog's life. The results are usually available the same day as the sampling. Your veterinarian will critically assess the possibility of infection being present based on the patient's history, clinical signs, laboratory testing and prophylactic medicine that was or was not given timely.
An important note to take home is that not all tick preventative medication is equally effective towards all tick populations. It is also not irrelevant in what climate conditions the dog lives in, his lifestyle and habbits.
Ask your local veterinarian which medication is best for the area your dog is currently at. Please read their instructions carefully, buy the appropriate size for the size of your pet and PLEASE set up a reminder in your phone or on your desktop calendar.
If a product says in the box that it offers protection during 4 weeks, 12 weeks or even more, don't stretch that time period. In case there was a window of a week between the two applications, and your animal develops clinical signs, mention this to your vet. Some products will work better in different geographical areas than in others. Don't assume they are all the same. Ticks are also working on their resistance at the same time the pharmaceutical companies are working on their medication. It is just unfortunate for the ticks that they haven't found a good sponsor yet. :D
Jokes aside, tick fever is no joke. It is cheaper and much more humane for the animal to keep them on their preventatives regularly. I say this because treatment for tick fever includes strong and at times irritable medication administered over a long period of time. It is not safe for pregnant or lactating female dogs. Tick fever causes blood clotting impairment and if your animal is that unfortunate to have both tick fever and a physical injury, or has to go under surgery, their chances of survival are lowered, and the incidence of complication increases.
So why risk all that and not just get the preventatives?
They are easy to give, and most importantly, a reliable guarantee your dog will not end up sick with tick fever, or any other tick borne disease.