1. What is Tick Disease? In this context, we are using Tick Disease as a catch-all phrase for the following group of diseases that can infect animals and man. These include, but are not limited to, the following: Ehrlichiosis* Basesiosis Lyme Disease Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) *Although most strains of Ehrlichia are transmitted by ticks, please note: For Neorickettsia (Ehrlichia) risticii (also the causative agent of Potomac Valley Fever in horses), no known tick vector has been established. In numerous attempts, the tick was shown NOT to spread N. (Ehrlichia) risticii. In horses (studies have not been done in canines), N. (Ehrlichia) risticii infection has been confirmed to be transmitted transplacentally 24 and via infected horse manure23. Studies have shown experimental transmission and isolation of N. (Ehrlichia) risticii in freshwater stream snails (trematodes) as well a actual isolation in snail secretions and from aquatic insects in endemic areas.(ref. 18-20). And in a very recent study, "Upon ingestion of adult aquatic insects, horses developed clinical signs of Potomac horse fever, and Neorickettsia risticii was isolated from the blood 22. [TOP] 2. What are the signs and symptoms of tick diseases? anorexia (lack of appetite) weight loss fever lethargy (mild to severe) discharge from the nose or eyes (in puppies, sneezing or clear nasal discharge) diarrhea (may contain blood or raspberry gel-like component) cough-deep or merely hacking neurological signs including seizures, repetitive obsessive/compulsive actions such as chewing fur and/or licking legs, un-coordination or palsy depression vomiting bile (yellow and possibly frothy) stained fluid hemorrhaging even when blood count looks normal lightening of nose color nose bleeds blood clotting problems-even with normal CBC (complete blood count) edema (swelling) of the extremities 3. What is meant by the terms acute, sub-acute (sub-clinical) and chronic when referring to tick disease? ACUTE: Generally, in the acute phase of illness, 1-4 weeks post infection, the dog may present with a flu-like illness. Fever, lethargy, depression of appetite, diarrhea and/or lameness may be present. The dog may act like it is very painful to be touched and will yelp when picked up or when played with. The laboratory profile will be variable, showing decreased red blood cells and increased white blood cells (WBC) and/or platelets. Alkaline phosphatase (liver enzyme) may be elevated. Immunologically competent dogs may be able to eliminate the infection without treatment, however, antibiotic therapy is very effective during this stage of illness and is recommended to completely eliminate the organism. SUB-ACUTE (SUB-CLINICAL): Untreated, the disease may move into the sub-clinical phase. The dog's body weight normalizes and laboratory abnormalities may be quite subtle. Thrombocytopenia (low platelets) may or may not be present. This phase of disease can last for months or years as long as the dog is not subjected to something that causes undue stress. The parasite is essentially living with the host in stasis; not overpowering the dogs immune system. CHRONIC: However, if this balance is disturbed by environmental conditions, concomitant infections (combination of diseases), immuno-deficiency, splenectomy, surgery, stress, excessive work, pregnancy, immunosuppressive therapy (including corticosteroids like Predisone), the organism can gain the upper hand and the dog enters the chronic stage of illness. Because the organism is possibly sequestered in an organ or organs (bone marrow, spleen, liver, etc.), it is harder to treat effectively. Immune capabilities are impaired (like ability to make antibodies). Sometimes, when a dog has entered the chronic stage of tick disease, there is no form of effectual treatment and death can occur.

4. Can tick disease mimic other medical conditions? YES, Be very careful we lost a dog to Tick Fever and it is NO fun! If your pooch is not acting like itself,please take your dog into the vet and get a quick blood sample for Tick FEVER TEST,please do it,....PLEASE! Also BUY from us, the very best Tick/FLEA collars they last up to 3 months!

Yes. Ehrlichiosis may be confused with a lot of different things.... check the "TITER" count!! in blood work!!

5. What routine lab tests can be indicators of possible tick disease? Laboratory findings vary depending upon the stage of illness. The CBC (Complete Blood Count ) may be within normal limits, or can show: low hemoglobin or very high-i.e. 17-19 range low PCV or extremely high PCV-i.e. 50 or greater platelets range from 140,000 and below, to 385,000 or higher WBC's 8,000 or less, or the reverse-i.e. 18 to 40,000. On the chemistry panel, liver, kidney or pancreatic enzyme may be elevated. Globulin and total protein values may be low if the dog is immuno-suppressed and is unable to make antibodies. [TOP]
6. How many strains of Ehrlichia are there? Lots of work is currently being done in the field of Ehrlichiosis research due to the fact that this is an emerging pathogen for humans. While it was once thought that each strain was species specific, as more research is being done, they are finding that there is much crossing over between strains and their target vertebrate hosts. The Ehrlichial strains that infect the monocytes are: E. canis (dog and other wild canids-- worldwide distribution) E. chaffeensis (humans, deer, dog--US, Europe, Africa, S. & Central America)--also called HME E. sennetsu (human-- Japan, Malaysia) [Note: E. sennetsu has been renamed Neorickettsia sennetsu21] E. risticii (horse, dogs, cats--, North America, Europe) [Note: E. risticii has been renamed Neorickettsia risticii21] The Ehrlichial strains that infect granulocytes (segmented white blood cells) are: E. equi (Horse, dog, humans, rodents--US, Europe)--The human strain is referred to as HGE E. phagocytophila (sheep, cattle, bison, deer---Great Britain, Europe) Note: E. equi, HGE and E. phagocytophila have been combined into a single genus specie - Anasplasma phagocytophila.21 E. ewingii (dogs, humans--North America) One strain of Ehrlichia infects platelets (cells associated with blood clotting): E. platys (dogs and wild canids--N. and S. America) - Note: E. platys has been renamed Anaplasma platys.21 [TOP]

7. Which ticks in the US transmit disease? The two ticks now known to transmit Lyme in the US are Ixodes scapularis (NE and S US-- formerly called I. dammini) whose common name is the deer tick; and I. pacificus (common name- western black-legged tick) in the W US including all of the W coast states, plus Arizona, CO and Nevada. However, what is important for transmission in any locale is 1) the availability of animal reservoirs--deer and small mammals--the contact with domestic animals and humans is incidental to that. And 2), how many of the ticks actually carry the infection? DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE? NO! Literature reports show that in Connecticut where Lyme is endemic, the population of I. scapularis ticks that carry Lyme ranges from 10 to 30 % depending on which reports you read. But, in studies done in W coast I. pacificus habitats, infection rates were only in the 1 to 3% range. So the odds of transmission drop accordingly.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is transmitted by both Dermacenter variabilis (american dog tick-occurs W of the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas, from Nebraska to the Atlantic and in E Canada and Mexico ) and Dermacentor andersoni (wood tick-range is Nebraska westward to the western mountains-Cascades and Sierra Nevada, in northern NM and Phoenix Area and others in Arizona and in W Canada). The name RMSF is somewhat misleading because the disease has been reported in all states except Hawaii and Vermont. Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), caused by the organism Ehrlichia chaffeensis, is transmitted normally by the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum (distribution is southern USA from TX to MO to the Atlantic coast and ranges northward into New Jersey) and Dermacenter variabilis (american dog tick). This disease has been reported in thirty states in humans. Reservoirs include white-tailed deer, dog and small rodents. The monocytic form of this disease in canines is called E. canis and it is transmitted by the brown dog tick or kennel tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, with worldwide distribution. E. platys (now called Anaplasma platys) is also transmitted by the brown dog tick.

E. ewingii, which causes canine and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, is transmitted by the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum (distribution is southern USA from TX to MO to the Atlantic coast and ranges northward into New Jersey). HGE (now called Anasplasma phagocytophila), human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, is transmitted by the tick I. scapularis, which also transmits Lyme and Babesiosis. Other vectors include I. pacificus and I. ricinus (Europe). The primary reservoir for HGE is thought to be the white-footed mouse. [TOP]

8. Which diseases should my dog be tested for? There may be some variability depending on the locale where the dog resides, was bred or has traveled. The following would constitute a good screen: Neorickettsia (Ehrlichia). risticii E. canis Anasplasma phagocytophila (E. equi) Babesia canis Lyme RMSF - Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever [TOP]

9. Where can the testing be done? YOUR LOCAL VET should be able to check your dog for a "TITER" count for about $65.oo APROX. this is what I paid,an excellent Vet, here in Arizona, but this price varies..... For titers to the Ehrlichial strains and Babesia canis:

University of Illinois Laboratory of Veterinary Diagnostic Medicine ATTN: Dr. Ibulaimu Kakoma DVM PhD P.O. Box "U", 2001 S. Lincoln Urbana, IL 61801 PH: 217/333-1620 or 217/333-1859 FAX: 217-222-4628

Lyme and RMSF:

MSU College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory PO box 30076 Lansing, MI 48909 517-353-2296

Have your vet perform the TITER TEST for the strains requested and the pricing for each. Find out the preferred method of shipping and the preferred day of the week to send the specimens. The laboratories can also fax your vet the requisition form to submit with the sample. For Lyme testing, be sure to request the Western Blot test, not just an IFA or ELISA screen--particularly if your dog has had the Lyme vaccine. Testing for tick disease is not inexpensive. Having the titers done at competent laboratories will save money in the long run...and maybe your pets life! [TOP] 10. What will the result of the titer tell me? The titer result will need to be interpreted by the veterinarian who has examined the dog in conjunction with the referral laboratory's guidelines for positive and negative titer results. Generally, the following is true: Negative titer result: Technically, a negative titer means the dog does not have detectable antibody to the strains tested. There are several reasons this could occur: The dog is in fact negative and has not been exposed to a tick borne disease. The titer test was done too soon --it can take 1-2 weeks after being infected before IgG antibody levels are detectable. Tick borne diseases can depress the dogs immune system so antibodies are not being made; therefore none are detected with the titer test. In the acute stage of illness, it is easier to detect antibody--in fact a rise in antibody titer may be discernible with repeat testing. However, unfortunate though it may be, often dogs are not tested in the acute stage of disease. Once in the sub-acute or chronic stage of illness, titer results are not uncommonly negative. The titer was negative because the titer was not done with correct antigen. Example: E. canis and Neorickettsia (Ehrlichia risticii) were tested, but the dog actually has Anaplasma (Ehrlichia) platys. Positive titer results: A positive result indicates that the dog has, at some point in its life, been exposed to the strain of tick disease for which it was tested. (Note: Exposure to more than one strain is possible.) With clinical symptoms consistent with tick disease, one option is to treat until titer and symptoms disappear. This may require several courses of treatment. A positive result without symptoms consistent with tick disease, probably bears watching and repeat titers should be done at a later date or if symptoms later occur. [TOP]

11. How do you remove an attached tick? Do not use alcohol, nail polish, hot matches, petroleum jelly, or other methods to remove ticks. These methods may actually traumatize ticks causing them to regurgitate their gut contents. Essentially, you don't want to do anything to make the tick expel its gut contents into the individual or animal--this greatly increases the chance for infective organisms to be transmitted. You also don't want to crush the tick after removal and get the contents of a potentially infected tick on your hands. The recommended way to remove an attached tick: Wear gloves and use a tweezers. Caution is advised because most diseases that ticks carry can also be transmitted to people. Grab the body of the tick with the tweezers and firmly pull the tick straight out, DO NOT TWIST OR JERK. Do not puncture the body of the tick. If it looks like some of the tick did not come completely out (the tick's mouth part has a barb on it to make removal more difficult), use an alcohol sterilized needle to remove the remaining pieces. Cleanse wound with soap and water, and then alcohol. Save the tick in rubbing alcohol (the alcohol quickly kills the tick) for future identification and testing**, if necessary. Date the bottle. Drowning a tick in water does not work--they can even survive flushing down the toilet.

Mark the date on the calendar; this could be useful information if the dog starts showing symptoms consistent with tick disease. Believe it or not, I keep an empty medicine bottle half filled with rubbing alcohol handy and drop the ticks in it to kill them. **Testing of the tick for disease organisms can be done with a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test. Check with the laboratory that will be doing the testing before placing the tick in alcohol as this may interfere with the test procedure. Save the tick in a sealed ziploc bag with a little moisture, without alcohol, until this information can be determined. Many state health departments are equipped to handle this type of testing.

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