What diseases await a dog in the fall?

Dangerous consequences

Is every parasite dangerous for a pet? What types of ticks are at risk?

All known:

• Ixodes;
• Dermacentor reticulatus;
• Haemaphysalis;
• Hyalomma;
• Rhipicephalus and others.

Take a look at the photos to remember what they look like - they differ slightly in appearance. The main harm is that ticks are a common carrier of serious diseases.

Titles:

• piroplasmosis;
• bartonellosis;
• borreliosis;
• hepatozoonosis;
• ehrlichiosis.

In some cases, a bite can cause not just a slight inflammation, but a more dangerous reaction - a local or neurotoxic type.

Red mites in dogs: autumn difficulties

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Red mites in dogs: autumn difficulties

As soon as the sun begins to warm up and the first leaves turn green, pet owners begin to have a persistent headache - how to protect their pets from ticks and other parasites. Among other things, mites are a source of allergies in both dogs and people. And the next peak of allergies occurs in late autumn. You've no doubt checked your dog regularly for ticks throughout the spring and summer. But the trouble is that many types of these dangerous parasites are very difficult to detect. See how your pet behaves now, on the eve of winter. Does your dog still have itchy skin, visible pockets of irritation, is he “procrastinating” and biting his paws? Let's think about what to do next.

What mites cause itching, rashes and other allergic reactions? We are now talking about the so-called red mites (Latin name Trombicula autumnalis). They have their own full life cycle - from larvae to adult. But it is the larvae that pose the greatest danger to dogs; Ticks at another stage of their development are not dangerous to them.

Where can dogs pick up these ticks? During the most ordinary walk: the larvae of red mites climb up the grass stems or accumulate on the tips of the leaves of “hanging” plants; there they wait for their future victim. Contact has taken place - and a whole colony of larvae moves onto the dog’s skin, where they look for the most suitable place “to live” (usually where the thinnest and most sensitive skin is) - between the toes, in the armpits, in the stomach and genitals.

As we noted above, only larvae parasitize the skin; moving to the next stage of their development, having “fattened” well, they simply fall off the dog’s body. But this does not mean that you can breathe freely: in a number of areas with a suitable climate (and in some “fruitful” years), your pet is quite capable of harboring the next “batch” of parasites.

Indeed, red mites are incredibly difficult to detect visually. But “difficult” does not mean “impossible”; Parasites are usually identified by their bright orange color. Periodically inspect (or better yet, do it right now) problem areas on your dog's body. At the same time, you may not find anything other than the source of irritation that causes so much suffering to the animal. It is possible that the harmful larvae “grew up” and fell off, but the troubles remained.

How exactly do red mites parasitize? As you and I understand, parasites live on the skin. What do they eat? They produce subtle injections of a special liquefying substance under the skin and draw out nutrients. They do not feed on blood, as you might think, but on skin cells. The itching and irritation that we observe is caused by precisely the substance that the larvae inject under the skin. The dog begins to lick, chew and bite the affected area, causing it to become red and inflamed.

How to tell if your pet is affected. We have already talked about allergic reactions that usually accompany the lesion. These reactions have two seasonal peaks - in spring and late autumn, that is, now. Of course, you can examine your pet yourself; but it is best to visit a veterinarian - he, like no one else, knows how often such infections occurred in your area. You are just guessing, but the veterinarian knows and prescribes treatment! The “harvest” of red mite varies greatly from year to year, much depends on climate and weather conditions. Sometimes the epidemic is widespread, sometimes it is local.

The veterinarian will make a special scraping from the animal’s skin and perform other tests, if necessary; will exclude other causes that also cause itching and irritation. Do not worry; In case of a positive diagnosis, the prognosis for recovery is favorable.

How to treat an animal? Progress does not stand still, and you can get by even with small means. As a rule, veterinarians prescribe an antiparasitic shampoo, which you should simply bathe your pet with. In hard-to-reach areas (areas), special sprays work great.

Remember: with the onset of the season, you will not be able to prevent the spread of red mite larvae. Therefore, the best preventive measure is taking antihistamines. They significantly smooth out the consequences of infection and reduce them to a minimum.

Photos used from open sources.

Tick ​​paralysis: neurotoxic reaction

The consequence is not a disease, but a reaction of the dog’s body to a tick-borne toxin that enters the animal’s bloodstream when bitten. Paralysis can have varying degrees:

• hind limbs;
• with transition to the pelvic area;
• all limbs;
• dysphagia – the dog cannot swallow normally;
• dysfunction of the vocal apparatus - partial or complete;
• shortness of breath - up to suffocation.

Is treatment always necessary? Only a veterinarian can answer this question - it all depends on the degree of paralysis and the age of the bite. In any case, the pet must be shown to a specialist.

The truth about ticks

In the photo, Tulyachka Svetlana and her beloved golden retriever. Photographer Natalya Timofeeva.

With the onset of warm weather, ixodid ticks become more active, and for dogs the risk of contracting piroplasmosis increases sharply. Veterinarians answered common questions from dog owners.

Mikhail Melnik, Tula Center for Veterinary Medicine

— What is piroplasmosis (babesiosis) and why is it dangerous?

– Babesia or piroplasma is a microscopic intracellular parasite that infects some ticks. They enter the dog's bloodstream from the tick's saliva when bitten. Pyroplasmas destroy blood cells, which leads to severe damage to the animal’s body, and without treatment, often to death. This parasite is not dangerous for humans.

— How to determine whether a tick is contagious if it is found on a dog?

– It is impossible to tell from the appearance of a tick whether it is a carrier of babesiosis. Some dogs are lucky enough to get sick from one insect bite, while others remain healthy after being attacked by many ticks.

— How long will it take for symptoms to become noticeable if the tick is infectious?

– Piroplasmosis can occur either very quickly and acutely, or less noticeably and for a long time. A tick can bite a dog and go unnoticed, and by the evening of the same day the pet is already in serious condition. Even if you did not find ticks on the animal, but your pet has these symptoms, urgently take him to the veterinarian: the dog does not eat, is lethargic, staggers when walking, temperature is 40-41 ° C, the whites of the eyes, mucous membranes and skin have turned yellow, urine turns red or brown. In acute piroplasmosis, every hour counts! The longer a dog goes without treatment, the higher the likelihood of severe complications or death. Puppies under one year of age and older animals suffer especially hard from piroplasmosis - they often cannot be saved in advanced cases.

— Do owners need to immediately take their dog to the doctor if they find a tick, but the pet looks healthy?

– If on the first day after discovering a tick the dog has no alarming symptoms, the owners can choose three options:

1. Observe the dog's condition for up to 20 days and go to the doctor if symptoms appear.
2. Do a blood test after 3-4 days, when the disease may already be visible, but only in the blood.
3. Urgently give an injection that destroys the pathogens of the disease, without waiting for symptoms. The drug is low-toxic and will protect the dog from illness for the next month.

Lyudmila Vinokurova, Vetline veterinary clinic

— How to protect a dog from piroplasmosis?

– Treat the dog’s skin and fur with anti-tick drops or spray (it is important to follow the dosage depending on the dog’s weight). Repeat the treatment every 25 days and examine the dog after each walk. Additionally, from the beginning of March to the end of November, put a flea and tick collar on your pet. The vaccine also helps, it is given twice in the spring, it will protect the dog for 6-7 months. Now there are tablets for protection against piroplasmosis.

— How can owners help their dog during treatment?

– During treatment, provide the dog with constant access to fresh water, do not disturb the pet or force it to move, and ventilate the room often.

Oksana Nekrasova, veterinary clinic “Friend”

— When is the best time to walk your dog to avoid tick attacks?

– Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely avoid the risk; ticks are especially active during regular walks with pets. During the day, in the open sun, and at night, ticks are less active, but the danger still remains.

— Where can ticks be found on a dog’s body?

– Ticks often attach themselves to the head, neck, chest, and groin areas. Be sure to inspect the animal after each walk. It is better to carry out the inspection twice with an interval of 1-1.5 hours.

Local reaction: local inflammation

The skin disorder most often manifests itself as a normal reaction of the body to tick saliva. Common symptoms that occur a couple of hours after the parasite is removed:

• redness at the site of the bite;
• edema;
• increased body temperature;
• pain or itching.

In order to avoid unwanted dog behavior - scratching the wound - it is necessary to properly treat it and close access to it with a bandage. Otherwise, purulent inflammation will begin - granulomatous dermatitis.

Tick-borne encephalitis

The most serious disease, which is most often contracted in the spring. How dangerous it is can be judged by the consequences of its occurrence:

• limb spasms;
• complete paralysis of the whole body;
• impairment of visual function - until its complete loss;
• similarly – with the sense of smell;
• epilepsy;
• fainting.

What does an animal with encephalitis look like:

• behaves lethargically, stops eating;
• aggression may occur;
• immobilized.

The disease causes swelling of the brain and spreads to the spinal and other vital systems. Potent drugs are used as therapeutic drugs, and their introduction into the body must be done without delay.

Erlisiosis

The most characteristic symptom, which in the absence of adequate treatment leads to death, is high fever. The disease begins with lethargy and weakness. The dog refuses to play and move and tends to lie down more. The disease affects important organs - vision, digestion, brain, circulatory system.

Since any bite is dangerous, contact your veterinarian immediately - a timely blood test will help avoid serious problems in the future.

Are ticks dangerous in the fall?

So, the main mistake of many dog ​​owners is that they believe that in the fall they can no longer treat their pets with various anti-tick medications.

But veterinarians say that ticks are very angry and aggressive not only in early spring, but also in autumn.

My Temik is now treated with Inspector total C. Veterinarians praise this drug, so I hope it protected my four-legged friend this time. When we treated our dog for piraplasmosis in June, we talked a lot with veterinarians. I want to share with you the information I received from them.