Ehrlichiosis in Dogs

Causes

• Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by a group of bacteria, contracted worldwide through various ticks. Dogs in the United States can contract ehrlichiosis from the bite of a brown dog tick, a lone star tick, a black-legged tick or a Western black-legged tick. The tick becomes infected by feeding on the blood of an infected dog. It then passes on the infection to the next dog it latches on to.

Phases

• Canine ehrlichiosis has three phases: acute, subclinical and chronic. The acute form starts one to three weeks after infection and the symptoms may last as long as a month. If the acute form is untreated or undetected, it may progress to the chronic form one to four months after contracting the disease. In between this time, the disease moves into its subclinical phase, meaning it appears to end.

Symptoms

• Acute form symptoms of ehrlichiosis include anemia, lethargy, stiffness and reluctance to walk, weight loss, unwillingness to eat, fever, fluid in the legs and scrotum, bruises and joint pain. Chronic form symptoms include severe weight loss, neurological disorders, arthritis, renal failure, spontaneous bleeding and nosebleeds, fever, anemia and swelling of the legs.

Diagnosis

• Only a veterinarian can diagnose an ehrlichiosis infection through blood tests looking for antibodies and bacteria present in the bloodstream. A vet will look for clinical signs of the disease and response to treatment.

Treatment

• A veterinarian can treat an infected dog with antibiotics. Antibiotic treatment generally runs more than two weeks for acute infection and one to two months for chronic infection. Supplemental treatment may include blood transfusions and IV fluids.

Prevention/Solution

• Controlling ticks is the best way to prevent ehrlichiosis, Most veterinarians can recommend a systemic, top-spot treatment for controlling ticks such as Frontline or Preventic collars.