What are Ticks? Ticks are tiny parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts. They are closely related to mites, spiders and scorpions. There are soft (argasid) ticks and hard (ixodid) ticks. Hard ticks are more common, reproduce faster and tend to cause more problems for dogs. Ticks are attracted to animals by warmth, physical contact and odors. They can carry and transmit bacterial organisms that cause infectious diseases - such as Borrelia burgdorferi, which are the bacteria that cause Lyme. Many dogs affected with Lyme disease are taken to a veterinarian because they seem to be experiencing generalized pain and have stopped eating. Affected dogs have been described as if they were "walking on eggshells." Often these pets have high fevers. Dogs may also begin limping. This painful lameness often appears suddenly and may shift from one leg to another. If untreated, it may eventually disappear, only to recur weeks or months later. Some pets are infected with the Lyme disease organism for over a year before they finally show symptoms. By this time, the disease may be widespread throughout the body. Anaplasmosis can often cause lameness, joint pain, fever, lethargy, and not eating. Most infected dogs will have symptoms for 1 to 7 days; however, some will have no or only minor symptoms. Less common clinical signs include vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, and labored breathing. Rarely, neurological signs such as seizures have been reported. And ehrlichiosis (signs of ehrlichiosis can be divided into three stages: acute (early disease), sub-clinical (no outward signs of disease), and chronic (long-standing infection). In areas where Ehrlichiosis is common, many dogs are seen during the acute phase. A canine infected with Ehrlichiosis may have fever, swollen lymph nodes, respiratory distress, weight loss, bleeding disorders, and, occasionally, neurological disturbances.Tick bites cause irritation to the skin around the area of the bite, itchiness, head-shaking (if the tick is on the face or in the ears) and sometimes even paralysis. They also can cause a dog to suffer fever, appetite loss, pain, lethargy and depression. Some ticks carry infectious organisms that can infect people, so owners should be vigilant when they remove ticks from their dogs. Dogs pick up ticks from the environment and less frequently from other animals. Different ticks live in different geographical areas. Ticks tend to be attracted to dogs by warmth, physical contact and odors, among other things. FRONTLINE PLUS With the increase on ticks we are seeing this summer, we encourage everyone to purchase your Frontline Plus today! We are having a special on Frontline Plus this season. If you purchase 3 doses of Frontline Plus, you will get 1 dose free. If you purchase 6 doses of Frontline Plus you get 2 doses free. If you are currently a client and you purchase the 6 doses of Frontline Plus along with your 2 free doses you will also receive a $15 credit applied to your account to use for your next visit. So come on in and pickup your Frontline Plus.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:01:17 +0000
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