(Bihar Times) It has  been raining since February this year. While this has made the air breathable,  it has also brought in a billion ticks. I have 16 dogs and  two people  deployed  just to take out their ticks. Yet five of them have  contracted tick fever.  Our vet says he has never had so many cases  in this season.  
           Clinically  tick fever is called Erlichiosis or Babesiosis. It is a life threatening  disease that can lead to complications like kidney failure. I have  recently lost three dogs to kidney failure and  now  realize the  culprit.  
           Ticks  are insects who attach themselves to a mammal (deer, sheep, dog etc), puncture  its vein and feed on blood. They are most active when it’s warm and wet.  As our climate warms, dogs are at risk for a longer duration. Infected  ticks cause tick fever. It can occur quite suddenly. Early signs are trembling  and shivering. Depending on the severity of infection the dog will refuse food  and is reluctant to get up.  The urine colour changes from pale yellow to  brown reflecting the pigment from the red blood cells that are being  destroyed.  The gums start to pale due to the breakdown of red blood  cells. Temperatures soar to as high as 104°F or 40°C.   
           The  symptoms of tick fever, as I have observed,  are lack of appetite,weight  loss , fever, lethargy, discharge from the nose or eyes (sneezing or clear  nasal discharge in puppies) , diarrhea (may contain blood or raspberry gel-like  globules ) cough, obsessive compulsive behaviour such as chewing fur and/or  licking legs, unsteadiness, depression, vomiting yellow and possibly frothy  fluid, hemorrhaging even when blood counts seem normal, lightening of the nose  color, nosebleeds, swelling of the extremities, chronic ear and skin infections  that do not respond to treatment, low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), low  (leukopenia) or high (leukocytosis) WBC count,  anemia, arthritis,  inexplicable lameness in one or more legs, weakness, pallor (pale gums or  tongue), incontinence, enlarged liver and spleen,  liver or kidney  failure, increased thirst and urination, neck or back pain, bleeding under the  skin or a rash, enlarged lymph nodes, prostatic infections and/ or enlarged  prostates in young dogs and ocular signs including bloodshot and glassy eyes,  retinal hemorrhages, dilated pupils and photophobia.
            
           
           A  blood test will show  decreased red blood and increased white blood cells  and/or platelets. Alkaline phosphatase (liver enzyme) may be elevated.  
           Untreated,  the disease may move into the sub-clinical phase where the dog's weight  normalizes and tests may not reveal abnormalities. This phase of disease can  last for years as long as the dog is not subjected to any undue stress. The  parasite is essentially living with the host without overpowering the dog’s  immune system. However, if this balance is disturbed by other infections ,  immuno-deficiency,  surgery or stress, the organism gains the upper hand  and the dog enters the chronic stage of tick fever for which there is no  treatment and which can prove fatal.  
            What  routine lab tests will indicate possible tick disease? Laboratory findings vary  depending upon the stage of illness. A CBC (Complete Blood Count ) may be  within normal limits, or can show:  
          
            - low or very high (17-19),  hemoglobin 
 
            - Low or extremely high (50 or greater) PCV 
 
            - Platelet counts from 140,000 and below to       385,000 or higher 
 
            - Low (8,000 or below) or very high (18 to 40,000)       WBC.
                
            
 
            - Liver, kidney or pancreatic enzymes may be       elevated. Globulin and total protein values may be low if the dog is       immuno-suppressed and  unable to make antibodies. 
 
           
          Unfortunately   dogs are often not tested during the acute stage of the disease. Once in the  sub-acute or chronic stage, titer results are frequently negative. The titer  tests negative because it’s not been tested with the correct antigen. Example:  E. canis and Neorickettsia (Ehrlichia risticii) were tested, but the dog  actually has Anaplasma (Ehrlichia platys).  
            A  positive result indicates that the dog has, at some point in its life, been  exposed to a strain of tick disease . Treat until titer and symptoms disappear.  Tests should be repeated later or if symptoms recur.  
            How  should vets treat tick disease?  
            Earlier  vets would give two injections of Baronil on alternative days but this causes  liver failure.  
            This is what we do now:  
            Ehrlichiosis:  The tetracycline family is the first choice against the organism that causes  Ehrlichiosis. Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Doxycycline are usually quite  effective.  Doxycycline at 10 mg/kg (2.2 pounds = 1 kg), twice per day  given 12 hours apart for 6 weeks or longer. Do not give Doxycycline on an empty  stomach so administer the medicine with food or 30-60 minutes after the dog has  eaten. Wrapping the pills in a piece of bread often helps alleviate an upset  stomach. Doxycycline should never be given along with dairy or supplements containing  calcium, iron or magnesium (like antacids) because these  will interfere  with the absorption of the antibiotic. (Allow at least two hours pre or post  Doxycycline administration.)  You can give Livogen twice a day
            
             
            Imizol® (generic name- Imidocarb Dipropionate)  is the least toxic of all the remedial drugs but potential side effects that  can occur within one hour of injection include pain or irritation at injection  site, nausea with vomiting, excessive drooling , diarrhea and twitching.   Side effects can be reduced by injecting the Imizol subcutaneously, rather than  into the muscle.  
           Traditionally infected dogs were treated for 10-30 days but newer research  suggests that certain dogs may need to be treated for two-four months.  
           Dogs  with healthy immune systems usually recover although they remain susceptible to  re-infection. Dogs with weak immune systems and those that have progressed to  the terminal stages of infection (bone marrow failure) may not survive. If your  dog starts bleeding from the nose, this is the last stage of tick fever. Rush  him to the vet.  
            Grass  and shrubs are an ideal habitat for ticks so check your dog specially between  the toes after an outing. Prompt removal is a must. The best way to physically  remove a tick is to use tweezers and pull the tick straight out. DO NOT TWIST .  Do not puncture the body of the tick. Disinfect the site with soap and water  and then dettol  or alcohol as maggots can set in to a wound ( as happened  to two of my dogs).  
           Most  vets recommend tick collars. I don’t use them because I am scared that the  attendants may forget to wash their hands and get poisoned, or that when the  dogs scrap, the collar may kill one of them . There is a foreign spray called  Frontline (manufacturer Rhone-Merieux) which contains a neurotoxin called  Fipronil which sprayed on the skin, rids fleas and ticks within 48 hours. It is  supposed to be effective for 90 days, after which it should be removed with  benzoyl peroxide.
            
 
           My dogs  are rinsed with water in which neem has been soaked for several days. We use  eucalyptus oil and dissolved Asuntol soap in the floor swabbing water.  I  wish I could say all this works but it doesn’t. Hence all we do is pull out the  ticks manually.  
           If  anyone has a good preventive suggestion please mail me before I go completely  insane  
          
            
            
            
            
            
            
           
          
            
            
            
          To join the animal welfare movement contact gandhim@nic.in  
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