If you live in a rural area or have a hunting dog, it can be at risk for getting ticks. Ticks can cause several diseases in dogs including the following:
* Lyme Disease
* Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
* Tick Paralysis
These diseases can have severe consequences for your pet, so it is important to check your dog for ticks after they’ve been in fields or a wooded area.
Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease is probably the most common tick-borne disease that affects dogs. Fortunately, transmission of Lyme Disease can usually be interrupted if the tick is removed within 48 hours of attaching to your pet. However, if you spot symptoms like fever, lameness, change in appetite and swollen lymph nodes or joints, you need to take your dog to a vet clinic in Leawood, KS for a diagnosis and treatment.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
The transmission time of Rocky Mountain spotted fever from a tick to a dog is only about five hours, but if you can detach the tick within that time, you dog may not become sick. The symptoms of RMSF includes reduced appetite, depression, throwing up, swollen joints, fever, and diarrhea. It’s important to get to a vet clinic right away, because RMSF can cause more serious complications in some dogs, like pneumonia, kidney or liver failure and heart damage.
Tick Paralysis
A dog contracts tick paralysis after a tick secretes a toxin into the dog’s nervous system. Tick paralysis can cause dogs to become weak and limp within a week or so after being bitten by a tick. If you notice that your dog is suddenly having trouble moving its back legs, take him or her to the Cherokee Animal Clinic right away to be treated with the antitoxin.
If you examine your dog and find a tick, a vet clinic can remove it for you and prevent your dog from getting sick.
