Our pets, like people, are subject to a variety of ailments. Do dogs have tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis? Not everyone heard about the last misfortune. But the danger, meanwhile, should not be underestimated. Unfortunately, the answer to the question of whether dogs have encephalitis and borreliosis is yes. And today the topic of our article is precisely this, not so famous, but rather serious disease. That is, we will talk about the symptoms and treatment of borreliosis in dogs.
Tick-borne borreliosis, otherwise referred to as Lyme disease, is one of the most common diseases found among dogs. It is transmitted by ixodid ticks. The causative agent of the disease is the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, belonging to the group of spirochetosis.
The pathogen enters the animal through a tick bite. A person is subject to a similar route of infection. Signs of borreliosis in dogs are nonspecific.
An animal can become ill with it only in the warm season, but due to the long incubation period (for several months), the clinical picture can be revealed only in winter.
What is this disease?
This name - borreliosis - is accepted in domestic practice by the name of the bacterium that causes it. The American version is Lyme disease (this is the name of the city where the pathogen was first discovered).
Everywhere where ixodid ticks live , infection with this disease is possible. The causative agents of infection are already found in the organisms of tick larvae. Not every insect is a carrier of the disease, but the risk of getting it is greater where there is a high level of coverage of this infection.
The disease can also be “taken up” in urban conditions, but the “wild” (that is, natural) environment creates much more prerequisites for infection.
From 5 to 10% of the total dog population is able to resist dangerous bacteria. The risk of infection, the less the earlier the tick is removed from the animal. In addition, emergency intervention positively affects the manifestation of the symptoms of the disease.
The severity of the clinical picture is directly related to the concentration of the pathogen that has entered the bloodstream. If you have time to perform the procedure of removing an adult tick from a bitten place during the day, you can prevent the transmission and development of infection.
Tick-borne borreliosis in dogs: symptoms
A characteristic common feature for symptoms is their nonspecificity. This means that in each case, completely different signs of the disease can be detected in different animals. This is due to the general systemic nature of borreliosis in dogs, that is, the ability to affect many organs and systems at once. In addition, specific pathogens prefer certain body tissues.
In this regard, the diagnosis of the disease can become quite a challenge - there may not be any pronounced clinical signs.
The symptoms of borreliosis in dogs are characterized by the presence of two main stages:
1. The first of them begins at the time of the bite and lasts from 20 to 30 days (in some cases - up to six months). At this time, the pathogen passes the stage of active development in the tissues of the skin of the animal, but its spread beyond the borders of the lesion has not yet occurred. As a rule, there are no certain symptoms at this time.
2. The second stage is called clinical. Its beginning is observed when the process of active migration of bacteria into the circulatory system of the animal develops, so that they spread throughout the body.
Symptoms in this period depend on which system the pathological process is localized in.
If the musculoskeletal system is affected
A common sign of dog borreliosis is joint damage. This pathological process occurs in most diseased individuals (about 80%). The signs of a pathological condition can be recognized by pain and swelling in the joints (or one of them), alternating claudication on different paws, lasting for periods of three to four days. Sometimes these attacks can be interspersed with "healthy" intervals of several weeks duration.
The dog loses its appetite, gets tired quickly, does not want to move and is depressed. All this often coincides with the beginning of another exacerbation of lameness.
The manifestation of these symptoms is possible separately or in combination. You can observe them most often after 1-6 months from the moment of a tick bite. Diagnosis in this regard is sometimes very difficult.
If the cardiovascular system is affected
When Borrelia attacks the heart muscle, symptoms associated with rapid breathing and palpitations can be observed. Since in general the animal organism is usually quite resistant to the pathogen, the symptoms of borreliosis in dogs that are related to cardiac can pass unnoticed.
The infection will "hide" in the body long enough until it causes a more significant complication - inflammation of the heart muscle. Depending on how difficult the pathological process is, arrhythmia, pulmonary edema, cyanosis of the mucous membranes, and other symptoms of heart failure in the animal can be observed.
Neuroborreliosis: when the nervous system is affected
In connection with the disease at a certain stage, a sharp deterioration in the general condition of the animal is possible. The dog’s appetite disappears, spontaneous development of complete or partial paralysis of the limbs is possible, and most often the hind legs suffer. Such a state can last quite a long time, and its signs may completely disappear.
If the nerve centers of the spinal cord or brain are severely affected, disturbances in the motor activity of the animal’s body may be irreversible. This manifests itself as constant paresis, paralysis or dysfunction of the internal organs. At the same time, the dog suffers severe suffering and often dies.
If the kidneys are affected
Disorders of the functions of urination and urination caused by borreliosis in dogs are manifested in the form of frequent urination in small portions, accompanied by soreness, the presence of traces of blood in the urine. If untreated, this important organ may cause glomerulonephritis with subsequent development of renal failure.
Symptoms in this case are reduced to diarrhea and vomiting, a sharp decrease (up to a complete absence) of appetite, weight loss, thirst, and increased urination. It is also often possible to observe the development of subcutaneous edema in the abdominal cavity and on the thigh surface from the inside.
We emphasize once again that this disease is characterized by unequal symptoms in each individual case. Thoroughbred animals are much more likely to suffer from disorders of the nervous system and joint problems. Outbred dogs are more prone to kidney disease. In addition, any of the above complexes can be present both by itself and in conjunction with others.
How to make a diagnosis?
In connection with a wide range of signs and possible symptoms, the diagnosis, as already mentioned, is quite difficult. After all, such manifestations can occur in many extraneous cases. Perhaps the main sign indicating the likelihood of borreliosis is an intermittent claudication, which the owner of the animal cannot but pay attention to.
The veterinarian will carefully examine all the signs, not forgetting along the way about the possibility of simultaneous infection of the animal with a number of other diseases that can also be transmitted through a tick bite.
What awaits a sick dog in the clinic
Today, veterinary practice has the following diagnostic methods:
1. To assess the function of the kidneys, pancreas and liver, a biochemical and detailed blood test is performed. Be sure to determine the blood sugar level.
2. Parallel ailments can be detected by microscopic analysis of a blood smear.
3. To exclude the possibility of infection with intestinal parasites, feces are examined.
4. Blood is subjected to a study on the level of water-salt metabolism in order to exclude the likelihood of dehydration in violation of the electrolyte balance.
5. Urinary tract infection is detected using urine tests, including the determination of protein in it.
6. You may have to resort to a thyroid test to determine hormone levels.
7. Heart problems, as evidenced by the abnormal rhythm of his work, are diagnosed during an ECG.
8. Organic pathologies of the joints are excluded by X-ray examination of the limbs of the animal.
9. In addition, there are certain specific methods that can indicate the presence in the body of bacteria or their metabolic products.
Dog Borreliosis Treatment
In order for the treatment to be successful, you should try to identify dangerous symptoms as early as possible. Veterinarians resort to antibiotic therapy. The most widely used drug in this case is Doxycycline. But depending on the clinical picture, another veterinarian may be prescribed by the veterinarian.
Most often, the treatment is successful. Positive dynamics can sometimes be observed after 2-4 days. If necessary, prescribe maintenance therapy.
A sick animal should be kept in dry and warm conditions with limited physical activity until signs of recovery appear. It is recommended to maintain this regimen for 4 weeks. If the main symptom of the disease is damage to the joints, its disappearance can be expected in 3-5 days from the start of therapy. In the case when this does not happen, you can think about the presence of another disease.
Symptoms of this disease do not completely disappear, and not in all animals. Even in the case of a complete cure, pain in the joints can persist for a long time. In addition, in the form of a possible complication, paralysis or paresis is quite capable of remaining with the dog for the rest of his life.
How to prevent infection
The ixodid tick is widespread in our nature everywhere. It occurs not only in forests, but also in the city. Therefore, each time during the walk the animal is at risk of attack by parasites. To reduce the likelihood of infection, a number of simple rules should be followed:
1. Each time you return from the street, inspect the animal, especially if you live near a forest.
2. It is convenient to search for a tick in a thick dog hair with the help of the most ordinary hair dryer working in cold mode.
3. Pay attention to the dog’s actions. When it is heavily scratched in the same place, there may be a tick there.
4. Do not be too lazy to check and shake clothes and other things. After all, a tick is able to find its victim in an apartment.
5. It is recommended that before each walk the animal’s coat is treated with a special tick repellent. In this case, the spray helps best, in the second most effective place - special drops applied to the withers. A special collar is usually ineffective.
What are the conclusions?
Now you know the answers to questions about whether dogs suffer from borreliosis and what you should do about it. Remember: infection is possible only after a tick bite. Your pet will not be able to get infected from another animal. Likewise, borreliosis is not transmitted from a dog to a person, unless the blood of a sick animal can get into an open wound.
Once again about the symptoms: watch for signs of intermittent claudication, accompanied by fever in the absence of appetite against a background of general depression. Pay attention to signs of partial or permanent paralysis.
If the disease is not started, then, provided the treatment is started on time, the prognosis can be considered favorable. Engaging in the diagnosis itself and trying to help the pet on its own is an unproductive task. In case of suspected illness, the only way out is to contact a veterinarian as soon as possible.