Tick Diseases

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Learn about tick diseases in dogs

Lyme disease isn’t the only disease dogs can contract from ticks. Ticks can also carry canine ehrlichiosis, canine anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These diseases are often mistaken for other conditions and cannot be accurately diagnosed without a trip to the vet. Tick bites on dogs are hard to detect, and tick disease signs may not appear for 7–21 days or longer after a tick bite, which makes regular screening a must.

Lyme Disease in Dogs

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted by the deer tick (often referred to as the black-legged tick). Signs of Lyme disease in dogs are difficult to detect, and warning signs may not appear until several months after infection. Signs may come and go and can mimic other conditions. Cases vary from mild to severe. In severe cases of Lyme disease, kidney failure can occur.

Most common signs of Lyme disease:

Recurrent arthritis/lameness that lasts 3–4 days, sometimes accompanied by loss of appetite and depression
Reluctance to move or a stiff, painful gait
Swollen joints that are warm to the touch
Pain in the legs or throughout the body
Fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes

Canine Ehrlichiosis [ ur-lik-ee-oh-sis ]

Canine ehrlichiosis is caused by the bacterium Ehrlichia. phagocytophila and is transmitted by the brown dog tick. Like Lyme disease in dogs, warning signs may not be readily apparent. If left untreated, the disease progresses to a symptom-free phase, which can last days, months or years.

Mild signs appear to mimic a vague illness, the most obvious sign of which is weight loss. Severe cases of canine ehrlichiosis that go undiagnosed and untreated can end in death.

Most common signs of canine ehrlichiosis:

Fever
Runny eyes and nose
Loss of appetite
Depression
Weight loss
Swollen lymph glands
Eye disease
Retinal bleeding
Spontaneous nose bleeds
Bruising (petechiae) on gums and belly
Swelling of limbs

Canine Anaplasmosis [ an-uh-plaz-moh-sis ]

Sometimes referred to as dog fever, or dog tick fever, canine anaplasmosis is caused by the bacteria Anaplasma phagocytophilum or is transmitted by the deer tick (often referred to as the black-legged tick)—the same tick that transmits Lyme disease. Another form of Canine Anaplasmosis is caused by the Anaplasma platys bacterium carried by the brown dog tick. Although these two forms of Anaplasmosis present with different signs, both may pose a serious threat to your dog's health.

Most common signs of canine anaplasmosis:

Arthritis-like stiffness with painful joints
High fever accompanied by lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea
Neurological signs (infrequent) resulting in seizures and neck pain

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever in dogs is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted by the American dog tick, the wood tick and the lone star tick. In most cases, Rocky Mountain spotted fever in dogs lasts about two weeks, but in severe cases it can result in death.

Most common signs of Rocky Mountain spotted fever:

Fever
Skin lesions
Stiffness when walking
Neurological abnormalities