American Bulldog - Beating Tick Related Diseases

By Author: Ricardo Limbardo
Total Articles: 1131
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Ticks as carriers of diseases

The biggest danger brought about by ticks is the fact that they are carriers of various types of diseases. More dangerous than those irritating itchy spots, and the blood sucked out of your dog are the different types of diseases that your dog may get from these seemingly innocent and irritable little creatures. These are Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick fever, the dreaded Lyme disease, and so on. Tick-related diseases are curable, but time is of the essence. When left unattended for some time, these diseases can also be deadly. Thus, it is still better to control and prevent these diseases from affecting your pet, and that means preventing the source: dog ticks.

The Dreaded Lyme Disease

Of all the diseases that ticks bear, Lyme disease is the most commonly known. It can be easily transmitted by ticks that your dog might pick up when playing out in the shrubs. Lyme disease is characterized by flu symptoms, and caused by bacteria. It is transmitted, however, by deer ticks. It can also cause rashes, severe pains in the joints, and even dog arthirtis, which then causes lameness, ...
... in worst cases. Lyme disease is also dangerous in that it can even affect other parts of the dog's body, such as the heart and other organs. If your dog contracts Lyme disease due to ticks, consult your veterinarian immediately for a vaccine to treat the disease as soon as possible. Lyme disease is also most dreaded because it can affect humans as well. To prevent Lyme disease, if possible, check your dog for ticks every day. If your dog has been out, check immediately. Tick transmission of Lyme disease usually takes at least an entire 24-hour period, so when deer ticks are immediately removed, the disease will not be transmitted.

Other tick-related diseases

Aside from Lyme disease, ticks can also transmit Tick Fever, also known as Erlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Both of these diseases are caused by rickettsial organism which ticks can carry. However, different ticks can carry different diseases. If you find a brown dog tick on your dog, check for symptoms of Erlichiosis, which are similar to flu symptoms, accompanied by nosebleeds. The Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, on the other hand, is the reason why you should regularly check for ticks as soon as your dog gets back from outdoors. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are transmitted by many different kinds of ticks, but if you manage to remove the tick within six hours after it infests your pet, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever will surely be prevented. Another type of disease that can be transmitted by ticks, particularly the American dog tick, is the Babesiosis, which is quite like malaria, in terms of symptoms. Tick Paralysis is one of the tick-transmitted diseases that can be easily detected, simply because its symptoms include paralysis in some parts of your dog's body. However, it's a good thing that it can also be treated easily. Once the culprit is removed from the dog's body, this disease naturally wears away. Last but not least, the Hepatozoon canis is yet another disease that ticks transmit. It cannot be easily transmitted though, because it only catches on when the dog somehow ingests the tick itself. However, once this happens, the effects can be irreversible andd incurable.

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