Tick-carried diseases 10-9-09
PREVENTING tick-carried disease in dogs
New information was presented at Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association conference this fall by Richard Ford DVM, PHD and Dr. Rick Alleman; two internationally known experts on tick-carried disease in dogs.
1) Golden retrievers & Labrador retrievers seem to be overrepresented to having Anaplasmosis and seem to be overrepresented in having Lyme nephritis which is often fatal.
2) The upper Midwest has one of the highest incidences of Lyme & Anaplasmosis in dogs in the United States
3) Many dogs in Minnesota and increasing in Wisconsin have both (co-infection) meaning both Anaplasmosis & Lyme.
4) The current vaccine (recombinant) made by Merial® for Lyme disease that we have been using for over 8 years is the safest and best available.
5) We will be monitoring a new vaccine just released by Intervet® which will be h to see if it is as safe and can provide additional effectiveness.
6) These diseases cause chronic disease that cannot be eliminated by antibiotics (even if treated early).
7) We have very good tests to identify these diseases as part of our annual heartworm test.
8) A positive screening test to Lyme means infection but not necessarily disease.
9) A positive Anaplasma means exposure but not necessarily diseases (this is a fairly new test that is telling us where the disease is spreading right now)
10) Both speakers advised antibiotic treatment if positive tests indicate infection to “knock down” infection and continued monitoring throughout life to detect and treat chronic disease.
What tick carried diseases should we be concerned about?
Lyme & Anaplasmosis (Ehrlichia & Bartonella are much more common in other parts of country).
What are symptoms of tick borne disease?
Lameness, pain, low platelet counts, fever, arthritis, lack of appetite, lethargy, and rarely very severe kidney disease.
How can we prevent infection?
The monthly use of Frontline® year round and annual vaccination (Lyme disease only).
What should we do to detect these diseases early?
Just be sure and have your dog’s heartworm and tick panel test done yearly. In high risk dogs testing could be done every 6 months.
What if my dog tests positive?
Any positive screening tests should be followed by lab work including a blood count looking for low platelets, a urinalysis to detect protein loss and a chemistry panel to assess the general health of organ systems.
Is treatment available?
Both speakers were very much in favor of treating both Anaplasmosis & Lyme disease aggressively with a 3 to 4 week course of doxycycline. Although there is not universal agreement to its necessity there seems to be much more to be gained than lost and it is a option that we exercise frequently at WFPC.
What about co-infection?
Co-infection was mentioned several times over the two days and is especially pertinent to us in the upper Midwest as both Lyme & Anaplasmosis infections are common. The concern is that having both infections together presents a higher chance of disease.
