The season of ticks is back again and so it is the right time to start protecting our pets. These parasites also bring anaplasmosis except from borreliosis. And the fact that this disease is not generally know does not undermine its serious impacts on animal’s health. Do you know what to pay attention to?
The season of ticks is back again and so it is the right time to start protecting our pets. These parasites also bring anaplasmosis except from borreliosis. And the fact that this disease is not generally know does not undermine its serious impacts on animal’s health. Do you know what to pay attention to?
Whether you choose any protection against ticks, some may still bite your dog. Whether you put an anti-parasitic collar, use a pipette or choose the natural way to protect your dog, you can never be a hundred percent sure that your dog cannot have any ticks. That is why it is good to know what the symptoms are so you could react quickly in case it is necessary. And today, we’ll take a closer look to anaplasmosis.
What anamaplasmosis is
It is an infectious disease transmitted by ticks. It’s caused by the bacterium called Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The infection causes damaging and destroying of white blood cells. The tricky aspect of this disease lies in its repeated manifestation and unclear symptoms. If it is not diagnosed in time which can happen quite easily because of its non-specific symptoms, it manifests in dog repeatedly whenever its organism is weakened (the influence of stress, winter, other diseases, etc.).
How can you recognize anaplasmosis?
You may notice the first symptoms of the disease in 4 – 11 days from infecting, although with some dogs the disease may occur later. The reason for it is that the immune system of healthy dogs can sometimes suppress the disease and the symptoms then manifest when the immunity is weak
Some of the symptoms are:
high fever that occurred suddenly;
loss of appetite, apathy;
vomiting and diarrhea with neurological symptoms;
reluctance to move, paralysis as a result of the inflammation of the joints, pain in the joints;
depression;
weight loss;
sensitivity to cold;
disorders of blood coagulation, enlargement of the spleen or liver.
The disease may also affect the internal organs such as the liver, spleen, kidneys or eyes. The animal may become blind as the consequence of this disease.
Prevention
There is no special vaccination against anaplasmosis and the best is therefore to get a high quality parasticide, check your dog’s fur every day and immediately remove any ticks found. We can also get the dog regularly tested for the presence of antibodies in blood as a part of annual preventive examination. If you spend a lot of time outdoors or the dog lives in the garden, you can have it tested twice a year in spring and autumn, outside the main season of ticks. The check-up can be done through quick test SNAP or by sending the blood for laboratory examination. If the infection is found out quickly, there is a big chance for a treatment to be successful.
Treatment
It is treated by administering specific antibiotics for four weeks. It is crucial to reveal the disease so the prognosis could be positive.
According to the data published at the end of last year, more than half of the people from around the world lives with at least one pet. The most numerous dog population is in the United States (70 million dogs), followed by Brazil (36 million) and...
When I travel, I'm always interested in what is the view of the given country upon the keeping of pets. And generally, how animals are treated there. The position of cats, dogs and rodents varies significantly in different countries, so there’s...
People often confuse the grey wolf with the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. This shepherd’s and today a very popular breed was bred from the German Shepherd by crossbreeding with the Carpathian wolf. Even though the dog and the wolf are very similar in...
The golden hamster, sometimes referred to as hamster-teddy bear because of its appearance, was first captured less than a century ago by zoologists in Syria. Hence also its second name – the Syrian hamster. Over time, it became a popular pet throughout...
The cloning of dogs or cats is slowly becoming a completely normal reality. For now, you can encounter it mostly in Asian countries. It’s the companies in South Korea that are most famous for their business plans focusing on the grieving dog and cat...
It would probably entirely unnecessary to describe the appearance of the German Shepherd. Probably everyone, even non-dog-lovers, have seen the German series Inspector Rex. Apart from the most famous colouring with black or golden marks, it is bred...
Getting a cat doesn’t mean only buying a cat toilet, bowls, a bed and a couple of toys. You also have to realise that the animal will also need certain care and count with this already before getting it. Each breed has its own specifics. While some are...
The Persian Longhairs, which have most likely descended from the Turkish Angoras, were bred in England at the end of the 19th century. Since then, they have undergone great changes, and today they have a much more compact body in comparison to the...
The desire for your own dog friend can also lead to a great disappointment. Since a lot of people fall for scammers when buying through an ad. Getting a dog this way is a risk not only from the money point of view, but also with respect to the mental...
Traveling with a dog in the city is stressful for many dog owners. One of the reasons may be the fear of riding escalators. If the dog is not accustomed to them since young age, he can have issue with it as an adult. Even in the case that your dog aces...
For the majority of dog breeders, winter is the period that has to be waited out somehow. But this time of year provides ideal conditions for the musher sport. And if you found pleasure in summer trainings with the dog, don’t hang the dog harness on an...
Most owners consider pets kept at home to be full-fledged family members. And year after year, they invest more and more money in them. Just for dog and cat food, Czechs spend around eight billion crowns a year. The business around pets is experiencing...