View Full Version : Erlichiosis...
and other tick-borne diseases.
Had the doguses to the vet for heartworm and tick-borne testing this past Friday. Winston the Wonder Dog, my hiking companion, tested positive for erlichiosis for the first time. Yes, all my dogs are maintained on Frontline Plus. He is asymptomatic, so will receive no treatment.
The concern is, that everywhere HE has been, Nessmuk and I have been. Erlichiosis, like Lyme disease, is zoonotic. Nessmuk and I have both been bitten numerous times this year.
The vet said this is the first year she has gotten positive Lyme tests on patients. But, she always recommends Lyme vaccine for dogs that outdoors a lot. She said a colleague in Lynchburg has been overwhelmed with the positive Lyme tests in his practice this summer.
So, forewarned is forearmed: protect yourself from tick bites, especially around here Rockbridge/Bedford Co., VA.
Frau
HikerRanky
07-14-2008, 17:27
Hey Frau,
My 8 year old male German Shepherd tested positive for Erlichiosis as well this year.... The female didn't....They are on Frontline Plus as well.
First time ever any of my dogs have tested positive as well... We put him on a 30 day supply of antibiotics, and he's doing much better...
Randy
Mine were tested because it was time to get more Heartguard. Win is as happy and active as usual. The vet said to just watch him for health changes AND that he would remain positive for some time.
Fr.
Ehr. has been a big problem in the mid-west the last couple of years. I had it last summer. Ugh. Our docs and vets are pretty up on it. Watch yourself. If you get the worst fever, chills and joint aches, but maybe not a rash, get to your doc. It is nasty, but does not have the long term effects of Lyme. They have told us here it can kill pets if untreated. Two children died of it in Missouri last year. Once I started the meds, I was much better within 24 hours. I usually never catch anything, have never had the flu, and that was the sickest I have been in my life. It elevates the liver enzymes, but after two months they were OK too. The other side is this story is that one of my hiker friends, and an AT section hiker in my gallery, showed up with the same symptoms after a tick fest hike trip. She told her doc about my Ehrlich. which I had at the same time. Her doc did a liver scan, saw a tumor on her kidney,whoa, that ended up being cancer and they removed her kidney. They got it early and she is doing great. My friend would never had kidney cancer caught that early if she had not been in for tick problems. So...hiking saves lives. It sounds better than saying ticks save lives.
sasquatch2014
07-15-2008, 08:57
I was told that this is close to the same thing as Rocky Mt Spotted Fever. I lived out west for 12 Years and never got that but moved back east in 2004 and ended up with Erch. Kicked my butt had a fever as high as 105 not good was taking cold baths etc to try not to fry my brain. Some days I think I was only partiarly sucessful with that. Once on meds recop was quick.
Erin--Thanks for the info. We hear lots about Lyme here, but only dog owners hear about Ehr. Yes, hiking saves lives and it DOES sound betters than ticks saving lives!
Sasq--A man very near me was diagnosed with Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever several years ago and still has some residual paralysis in his legs. ( Hasn't stopped him from beating his wife, though. His name appears in the local paper every so often for domestic assault. One would think she could easily get away from him now.) He was very sickk for several months.
My Lyme was caught on the bull's eye stage, so I had no illness. I haven't spoken to anyone suffering from the others. I will be more alert now for symptoms in me and the dogs. I DID refuse to go on one tick-infested hike last week, though. Nessmuk is braver, or maybe more fool-hardy than I.
Frau
my gf recommends advantix over frontline. she says it does a better job of protecting your dogs b/c it paralyzes the tick's mouths, and they can't even bite. frontline doesn't work until after they've bitten. at least i think that's how she explained it
Thanks for the info. My vet has been changing some clients to other products because Frontline hasn't been doing the job for them. When I have used up what I have I will ask her about Advantix and the not biting aspect.
Frau