During the period from April to mid-autumn, when the outside temperature ranges from 20°C to 30°C, ticks begin to search for a new host. They hide on the branches of trees, bushes, in tall grass, and wait for a possible future carrier to pass by. Not only animals, but also humans can fill this role. But dogs are at particular risk because they prefer to run through thickets and bushes when walking.
Ixodid tick- the most common enemy of four-legged friends, it is also called the common dog tick. It lives throughout the territory of the European Union, spreading to the very eastern shores of Russia, washed by the Sea of Japan. The main condition is warm temperature, high humidity (at least 80%) and the presence of woody and herbaceous thickets.
Did you know? Ixodid ticks have a phenomenal reproduction rate. The female lays about 20 thousand eggs at a time.
The pet is able to pick it up even on short walks that do not exceed half an hour. And the risk is much higher for yard animals that spend a lot of time outside, hanging around between trees and bushes.
If your dog is bitten by a tick, you are unlikely to notice it by the animal's behavior. The thing is that a tick bite is painless and does not cause harm in itself, without causing any symptoms. By thrusting its chelicerae under the skin, it injects an anesthetic substance contained in the saliva, which makes the bite imperceptible.
Important! During the entire feeding period, the tick produces saliva, which has an analgesic effect, which is why the animal does not feel its presence.
You may not know that an animal has been bitten if the tick was not a carrier or if you are not in the habit of inspecting skin dogs after every walk.
But if infection from a tick bite occurs, then after 3-4 days the dog may develop the following symptoms:
- lack of appetite;
- apathetic behavior and lethargy;
- indifference to the owner and toys;
- reluctance to move;
- gastrointestinal disorders;
- the appearance of shortness of breath;
- pallor of the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes;
- increase in body temperature to 39-40°C;
- blood in urine.
Harm and dangers
Very often this disease has death for the dog. The period from the end of the incubation period, which lasts from 2-4 days to 3 weeks, until the moment of death is very short - the dog “burns out” before our eyes in just a few days.
Important! The success of treatment for piroplasmosis depends on the haste of the therapeutic measures taken. The sooner you contact veterinary clinic, the more likely the pet is to survive. Without treatment, the likelihood of death- 98%.
You need to seek help from the hospital after the very first symptoms appear, even if it is only lethargy and elevated temperature at the dog. This is the very case when it is better to be an alarmist than to realize it too late and thus allow the death of the animal.
Piroplasmosis is insidious in that even a cured dog will retain traces of the disease for the rest of its life. Pyroplasmas cause damage to all internal organs, especially affecting the condition of the liver, kidneys, and spleen. In severe cases, brain damage occurs due to hypoxia (oxygen starvation).
Actions to save an injured dog should be as follows:
Important! All tick removal procedures should be carried out with gloves to prevent your own infection. Under no circumstances should you pull it out. with bare hands, touch it or release it into the wild, because many of the diseases carried by ticks are also dangerous for humans.
Video: how to remove a tick from a dog
Treatment at home
The danger of a tick bite is that self-medication in this case unacceptable and can be fatal. Therefore, if you notice the appearance of early symptoms, you must immediately show the affected animal to a veterinarian.
Treatment of any infections, especially piroplasmosis (also known as babesiosis), should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, since drugs to destroy pathogens are themselves toxic and should not be used without good reason. For the treatment of piroplasms, drugs such as Azidine, Berenil and Veriben are most often suitable.
Since piroplasmas destroy red blood cells and provoke excessive production of hemoglobin, which is fraught with damage to organs by decay products, plasmapheresis and hemodialysis are very effective in this case. The procedures are expensive, but they will certainly have a positive effect on the pet’s well-being.
In the future, after the cause of the disease has been destroyed, treatment consists of long-term cleansing of the body from intoxication. To do this, the dog is prescribed a course of vitamins, medications to support the heart, liver and kidneys, and saline solutions.
During this period, the animal needs rest, minimal physical exercise, gentle mode. You also need to follow a diet, because the body is not yet able to cope with regular food. Therefore, the dog is given light and low-fat food - boiled chicken breast or tender beef, oatmeal.
Food should only be fresh. Drink optional, but purified water. A rose hip decoction without sugar is good for a dog in this situation.
After using the medication, the dog feels better within 1-3 days, but the recovery period is quite long - 1-2 months. If the pet has suffered a serious illness, then control tests will be required after the end of the recovery period. In this case, veterinarian supervision is required during this entire time.
Did you know? Thanks to a special Haller's organ, ticks have an amazing sense of smell, which is why they sense the approach of a warm-blooded creature from afar. To do this, they do not need either hearing or vision.
Prevention
It should be remembered that no preventive measures can completely protect a pet from tick attacks, however, they can significantly reduce the risk of a bite and are guaranteed to ease the course of the disease. possible illness when infected.
Prevention of tick bites involves the use of special acaricidal agents for animals, available in three forms:
These medications must be taken according to instructions and taken in advance. The products do not begin to act immediately, but only 2-3 days after application. The protection mechanism is that the tick dies when it comes into contact with treated hair or skin.
If you plan to go out into nature, treat your pet a few days before the planned event.
During the warm season, periodically treat your dog with anti-tick medications. Remember that their effect is not very long - about 1 month, after which re-treatment will be required.
Today, it is becoming increasingly popular to vaccinate dogs against piroplasmosis spread by ticks with vaccines such as "Pirodog" or "Nobivac Piro". In response to vaccination, the animal develops an immune reaction, which, although it does not protect against the disease, significantly facilitates its course and minimizes the risk of death.
A tick bite can be very dangerous for your pet and can be accompanied not only by serious illness, but also by the death of the animal. When a parasite is detected on a dog’s body, immediate removal and timely treatment of the disease are important. Only in this case can you count on a favorable outcome.
As soon as the infected tick bit the dog, the animal became infected, because When a tick bites, it injects its saliva into the wound to prevent blood clotting - the animal becomes ill.
Symptoms piroplasmosis after a dog tick bite. The incubation period is about 6-10 days, less often up to 20, then certain signs are observed:
- Increase in temperature
- Refusal to feed
- Weakness, difficulty gait, the hind limbs are especially weak
- Hematuria (urine that is bloody or dark color)
- Pale mucous membranes oral cavity and eye
Sometimes, in dogs with increased resistance, there is chronic course. The temperature rises only in the first days, then returns to normal. The clinical picture is blurred and lasts up to 6 weeks. Animals quickly get tired and their appetite worsens. Periods of improvement are followed by depression. Constipation alternates with diarrhea. Exhaustion and anemia progresses. It is known that the disease was diagnosed in the middle of winter.
Diagnosis placed only after examining peripheral blood smears (from the ear).
To begin with, drugs are prescribed to destroy piroplasms, then it is necessary to prescribe drugs to maintain and treat the entire organism as a whole.
- Administration of antipyroplasmid drugs (veriben, berenil, etc.);
- Intravenous administration solutions of electrolytes and diuretics to relieve intoxication;
- Heart medications, vitamins, hepatoprotectors (Essentiale, Karsil, etc.).
After recovery, dogs must be limited in movement for 10-15 days. The veterinarian can also recommend vitamins and medications that normalize the function of the liver, kidneys and heart muscle.
Prevention of piroplasmosis and tick bites in dogs
In the warm season, dogs are treated monthly with acaricidal preparations in the form of a spray or drops on the withers (Frontline, Advantix, Bars, etc.). Inspect your pet after a walk for ticks. If you do find ticks, carefully remove them and treat the bite site with iodine. In the following days, be sure to monitor the dog; when the first signs appear, you must urgently contact veterinarian. The sooner treatment for piroplasmosis in a dog is started, the greater the chance of recovery.
Every owner should know: if a tick has bitten a dog, under no circumstances should this fact be ignored. While walking or relaxing, whether in a forest or field, a summer cottage, a city park or square, there is a danger of being attacked by a tick. No one is immune from this trouble.
It does not immediately attach itself to the victim’s body, but looks for the most convenient place with the least amount of fur, where it is easier for it to gain a foothold.
Types of ticks
They are microscopic subcutaneous and ixodic, free-living.
The disease manifests itself during weakening of the immune system
The skin reacts with inflammation to intoxication with waste products of the multiplied tick, causing unbearable itching, allergic rashes, and eczema. The hair falls out, the dog's skin becomes thinner and is injured by constant scratching. Wounds, ulcers, and focal tissue necrosis form.
The affected dermis is a fertile breeding ground for different types fungal, bacterial and infectious infections.
Infections spread by scabies mites
A tick bite can cause a corresponding illness. Among the diseases caused by subcutaneous scabies mites, the following can be noted:
Actions to take if you are bitten by an Ixodid tick
The lesion itself does not cause harm; the infection, a potential carrier of which is a tick, is dangerous.
The arsenal includes a first aid kit for pet It’s also good to have a special device for extracting ixodids - a twister. This is a plastic stick with something like a hook with a slot that secures the tick. The principle here is the same - grab it as close to the skin as possible and slowly twist it.
Types of devices for removing ticks
The incubation period of infectious pathologies lasts from a couple of days to several weeks and even months. You need to look at your pet very carefully, noting the slightest changes in his behavior. After a tick bite, dogs may feel unwell and show symptoms of malaise. If there are any, you need to urgently rush to the veterinary clinic.
Diseases carried by the ixodid tick
The most common diseases transmitted by the Ixodid tick are:
- Piroplasmosis (babesiosis) is a serious disease characterized by damage to red blood cells, hemolytic anemia. Main symptoms: fever, refusal to eat, extreme thirst, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, change in color of mucous membranes, anemia. It appears 3-7 days after the bite, progresses at lightning speed, if left untreated, coma and death of the animal occurs.
- Borreliosis (Lyme disease) - bacterial infection, affecting the nervous and cardiovascular system. Particularly insidious in that sometimes it has no signs external manifestation, but immediately goes to chronic form severe arthritis.
- Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial pathology characterized by damage to platelets, manifested by various types of bleeding, joint inflammation, convulsions, and lethargy. It is believed that ehrlichiosis is particularly susceptible to german shepherds and Dobermans.
- Bartonellosis - red blood cells are affected, heart failure and inflammation develop lymph nodes, vessels, in the absence timely treatment fatal outcome in 3 cases out of 10. Very long lasting incubation period- from 3 weeks to 3 - 4 months.
- Anaplasmosis - damage to leukocytes and red blood cells after a tick bite in a dog, manifests itself acute form anemia, circulatory processes are disrupted, areas of sudden bleeding and hematomas occur. Timely treatment starts gives a positive prognosis for recovery.
- Encephalitis - rare disease in dogs, most often does not have any symptoms; its presence in an animal is detected when clinical trial blood.
Are being treated infectious diseases the use of antibiotics, antimicrobial drugs, coupled with immunomodulators and vitamin complex. Many medicines are toxic, so hepato- and nephroprotectors and probiotics are taken along with them.
Symptoms of a tick bite may be varying degrees severity, it depends on the animal’s immunity, its age, and individual intolerance. For example, puppies under the age of six months are most sensitive to tick-borne infections, which can be fatal for them.
At the same time, a puppy bitten by a tick is young healthy body able to recover faster if therapy is started on time.
When your puppy is bitten by a tick, it is best to take him to the clinic immediately, without waiting for signs of a potential infection to appear. This is exactly the case when it is better to play it safe and start maintenance therapy on time than to deal with the possible fatal consequences of your inaction.
Measures to protect against tick infestation
For a walk in the forest, wear a special collar for your pet.
Prevention of infection is much more effective preventive measures. A thorough examination of the animal after a walk, the use of acaro-insecticidal preparations - drops on the withers, sprays, anti-tick collars.
There are some rules for using anti-tick medications for puppies. Some acaricidal medications are used only from a certain age due to their toxicity. It is important to carefully read the instructions for use and act accordingly.
Kirill Sysoev
Calloused hands never get bored!
Content
Many dog breeders are faced with an unpleasant problem that appears in the warm season: they can cling to the skin of their pets. ixodid ticks. These insects are small in size, but cause serious inconvenience. Ticks, which can transmit disease when bitten, are dangerous not only for pets, but also for people. So, Tick-borne Encephalitis can infect the human body with a virus that will lead to unpleasant consequences. Below you will learn what to do if your dog is bitten by a tick, what the consequences of the bite are and measures to help avoid the same situation in the future.
Types of ticks in dogs and symptoms of their bites
The risk of finding a tick on a dog increases with the onset of spring. When it gets warmer and the temperature rises above zero degrees, small insects begin to hunt. In summer, at the peak of the heat, ticks are less active, but even then the likelihood of a bite is considerable. Ixodid arthropods move slowly and do not jump from trees, as many mistakenly believe, but they have the ability to feel the warmth of a mammal ten meters away. After the tick senses food, it begins to crawl towards the animal. Having reached the target, it moves onto the dog's fur.
Some time after the tick has fallen on the dog, it explores the territory in search of thin skin: there it will be easier for it to obtain the necessary nutrients from blood. As a rule, their “favorite” places are the neck, ears, and stomach, but they can also cling to the back and other places. IN in some cases The tick's search for suitable feeding conditions takes several hours, which gives the dog owner the opportunity to detect it in time. They are attached for a long time (see the image below), and the first watch will not be too difficult to remove.
Once the tick has firmly embedded itself into the dog’s skin, it no longer changes position. The feeding period is several days. Due to a special natural anesthetic that is injected into the blood at the site of the bite, the dog cannot feel the bite at first. foreign body and does not experience discomfort - itching and irritation appear only on the second or third day. If a tick has infected a dog with something, unpleasant symptoms occur earlier.
Ear mite
An ear mite is a common ixodid insect that gets into a dog's ears and bites him there. When it gets inside the ear, the dog begins to feel discomfort almost immediately. First symptom ear mite- This is a permanent itch that forces the pet to scratch the affected area, often injuring itself. Then a second one appears a clear sign: brown liquid having bad smell, which comes out of the ear. Upon seeing this symptom, the owner should immediately contact a veterinarian who will prescribe anti-tick medications.
Subcutaneous mite
The subcutaneous mite infects the inner layer of the epidermis, sebaceous glands or dog hair follicles. When bitten, damage is caused not only to the skin, but also internal organs. Signs of a tick bite: severe itching, causing the dog to constantly itch, baldness in the affected areas, and the appearance of small wounds and ulcers. Mostly subcutaneous mites affects puppies whose immunity is still weak, usually entering the body from the mother. It is difficult to treat the affected skin areas, so it is better to protect your pets in advance.
What to do if your dog is bitten by a tick and how to get it out
The easiest way to detect a tick is on the surface of the skin of smooth-haired dogs or after several days of a bite, when, having been saturated with blood, it becomes larger. Depending on the time spent on the upper layer of the epidermis, and also on the number of mites, the difficulty of eliminating it changes. When removing an insect, you need to act carefully, observing safety precautions so as not to accidentally injure the dog or contract an infection from a tick. Popular ways to rid a pet of a tick: manual removal, shampoo and changing linen.
Manual removal
Manual removal is the most effective way rid the dog of the insect, but this procedure requires care and certain precautions. Firstly, you cannot force an arthropod upward, as you risk tearing off its body, leaving the head attached to the dog. Squeezing the tick is also not recommended, otherwise there is a chance that harmful substances inside the insect will be injected into the pet’s blood. Before the procedure, be sure to wear gloves to avoid infection. How to remove a tick from a dog:
- Liquids. Lubricate the tick with oil or gasoline - after twenty to thirty minutes it will fall off on its own. The method does not always work. Some experts believe that the lack of oxygen provokes the release of harmful substances posing a threat to the life of the pet.
- Use tweezers. Grasp the tick firmly in the area just above the head, but do not squeeze too hard. Start twisting it, but do not pull it sideways or upward. The procedure may take from a few seconds to ten minutes.
- Thread. Tie the tick with a thread on both sides, similar to the previous method, begin to “unscrew” it carefully and slowly.
Special shampoo for dogs
It is not uncommon, especially in dogs living in private houses in the wild, a large number of mites on the skin immediately. Manual removal in this case will take a lot of time and effort, so you need to try to destroy them using a special shampoo. Ask your pet store for a drug that kills tick larvae and can help remove those that have already bitten your pet. Carry out the wool washing procedure once a day. If possible, remove the remaining ones manually.
Replacing bedding
If the dog was infected, the likelihood that tick larvae remained in the sleeping area is very high. When treating with shampoo, it is advisable to change bedding every day or at least shake them out and vacuum them. Washing old bedding daily and replacing it with new bedding is much more effective than cleaning without water or detergent.
Possible consequences after a tick bite
Symptoms of the pathogen entering the blood:
- Temperature above 39 degrees.
- Lethargy, lack of appetite.
- Little activity.
- Colored urine, turning brown, beetroot, black, red.
- Diarrhea.
- Vomit.
- Jaundice.
Borreliosis (Lyme disease) is less common in Russia; the presence of microorganisms that cause it can only be confirmed by laboratory research blood. Depending on which system of the dog is affected, borreliosis of the joints, heart, and neuroborreliosis are distinguished; their symptoms differ. This disease can be dangerous for humans, so if there are signs of damage to one of the pet’s body systems, it is worth doing a test for Lyme disease.
How to treat piroplasmosis in an animal
If you find one of the symptoms of piroplasmosis in your dog, you should immediately consult a doctor. The sooner a specialist prescribes treatment, the higher the chance of the animal’s future well-being, because even cured pathology can provoke liver and kidney diseases. The first thing to do is to destroy the Babesia, causing disease. To do this, the doctor injects the dog with a special drug, after which the microorganisms are removed along with the affected red blood cells, and maintenance therapy is also prescribed. After administering the medicine, the dog feels better, usually on the third day.
The easiest way to protect your dog from ticks is to inspect his coat and skin after every walk. The peculiarity of insects is that for the first few hours they may not bite the animal, looking for a convenient place, so the chance of getting rid of it without loss is high. To detect a tick, run your hand against the dog's fur, carefully examine it, and feel it. If it has already “sucked in”, you will feel a small, convex ball to the touch. Pay special attention to the scalp, neck, ears, belly
Anti-tick drops and sprays
There is no way to constantly examine the dog if the owner goes with it to nature or to the country. To prevent bites, veterinarians have created special drugs, which repel arthropods and prevent the risk of infection from a bite. A few days before departure, it is recommended to treat the dog’s neck with Advantix drops - the product lasts for about a month, so it does not require frequent application.
Folk remedies
Experience shows that effective folk remedies no against ticks, because insects sense blood well, although there is a method that slightly reduces the risk of a bite. To do this you need to wash the mammal tar soap, and then rinse with a decoction of wormwood. Another way to avoid bites is to sew a light summer jumpsuit and wear it for walks in parks, where there is tall grass and there is a high risk of catching a tick. In addition, your pet should not be allowed to interact with yard dogs.
Video: how to get a tick at home
In order to remove the tick accurately and not harm the dog, you should have a good understanding of the removal technique. The video below shows manual removal. The dog breeder does not recommend using oils, vodka or other liquids to block his access to oxygen. The owner of the dog, who uses a means at hand to remove the insect, notes that it is not worth pulling or pressing on the tick, otherwise it will stick even stronger. After removing the arthropod, the wound is treated with disinfectant iodine, and the ixodid tick is destroyed.
Photo: what a tick looks like on a dog
In order to immediately identify a tick and understand whether your dog needs help, you need to know what it looks like. This is an insect with eight legs, a small head and a scute. It has brown, black, reddish shades. On a dog it speeds up and becomes more agile. If a tick has already bitten a pet, then it becomes easier to determine - it feels like a small yellow, gray or pinkish pea to the touch. See the photos to easily understand what a tick looks like and spot it on your dog in time:
Evgeniy Sedov
When hands grow out the right place, life is more fun :)
Content
Ixodid ticks are carriers of many diseases. Of the entire population, 3-15% of bloodsuckers are infectious. After a bite, symptoms do not appear immediately. It is necessary to monitor your pet’s behavior, and at the first signs of infection, immediately contact a veterinarian.
Dangers of tick bites
The saliva of an infected tick contains toxic substances that can cause your furry friend allergic reactions, pathology important systems body. When scratching, the wound may become suppurated due to infection.
Symptoms of a tick bite in dogs with toxic brain damage include suffocation, which can kill the dog. Possible lesions nervous system consist in the loss of the swallowing reflex and dysphonia - the inability to make sounds. A favorable outcome is a temporary loss of motor activity with full recovery.
Signs of a tick bite
The owner should take the pet to the veterinarian when the first signs of a tick bite in dogs appear. The animal immediately changes behavior - apathy and anxiety from the blood sucking appear. The dog begins to itch frequently, trying to get rid of the unpleasant neighborhood. After 1-3 days, local symptoms appear. next week will show which tick has infected your pet. If it is an ordinary insect, then the animal will recover after the blood-sucking insect is removed. In case of contact with an infected individual, the animal may experience symptoms of one of the dangerous diseases.
The intensity of the signs manifests itself differently in each dog. It depends on the following factors:
- breed and weight - in a small individual, symptoms will appear more quickly;
- general condition animal health – strong immunity will slow down development clinical manifestations;
- time of year - in hot weather symptoms appear faster;
- availability accompanying pathologies– other diseases weaken the defenses of the four-legged friend’s body, which will affect the intensity of the manifestations.
Local signs
Symptoms of a tick bite in dogs appear as a local reaction. If the blood-sucking insect was found and removed from the animal, then after 2-3 hours the following symptoms appear at the site of the insect’s penetration:
- skin redness;
- swelling of varying degrees;
- constant itching;
- moderate pain;
- fever, chills;
- granulosa dermatitis.
After removing the bloodsucker, it is imperative to disinfect the wound. Failure to comply this condition may lead to the risk of infection, secondary infection, which manifests itself in the form of suppuration at the site of infection. Injections are recommended for small breed dogs antihistamines to relieve itching.
Dog behavior
Symptoms of a tick bite in dogs form clinical picture. Her important element are the behavioral instincts of the animal. The following signs of a tick bite in a dog should alert the owner:
- Decreased activity - the dog stops jumping and running, loses playfulness, and does not ask to go for a walk. She shows lethargy and apathy.
- Loss of appetite – complete refusal to eat, even your favorite treats. It is rarely possible to force feed a pet.
- Violation motor functions– the animal spends more time lying down. It seems that the movement brings him physical suffering. The animal's movements are characterized by staggering.
