FYI, Fatal Tick Bite in Dogs

GLyford · Feb 29, 2016

We lost our Akita in '10 due to arthritis, she was 14. Out vet had us switch from Frontline to Advantix about 10 years before, because Frontline wasn't working very well in our area any more.

We got a bouncy young yellow lab to replace her and keep our cattledog company.

She came with a few doses of Frontline, so rather than switch her right away, we used up the Frontline...mistake. Found a tick on her, removed it. She became lethargic, which is so not how a year-old lab behaves, so we brought her in and they found Lyme. Treatment was successful, but she never quite regained the same bounce she had before.

The old guy has also passed on, so we have a new herding dog to chase her around and keep her activity up...but she's clever, she will get him running and then sit and wait for him to loop around again, then chase him again.

This reminds me, I should put on their next dose of advantix when I get home...(Done)

MacLawn · Mar 1, 2016

Yes boys, we have to examine our hound droppings. Now wait boys, am I the only one here whose vet recommended the Seresto™ tick/flea collar?!? Listen, that thing works!! For 8 (that'd be eight!) months! The random tick will try, to his soon demise, to suck blood, but canno' stay on long enough to do harm, according to my vet.

Well, mine is 10 1/2 now, and we must get her a little sister, I'm thinking. She can help train too. GLyford, you are doing like we must do, keep young'un around with the experienced one.

95XL883 · Mar 10, 2016

Hi Eddie,

Hopefully Raiden continues to improve. I "found" the first tick on my GSD last night. Luckily it was very dead. It was also very large in terms of diameter but very flat. It looked like it had filled with blood and then the blood dried up leaving a big spot. It pulled out very easily. I'm guessing it had been dead a while. I'm guessing she got it on Saturday when we were on our ground. We use Nexgard (a once a month pill for fleas and ticks) and it apparently does work. From checking on line, it appears that Nexgard is effective against the paralysis tick. (The picture I found of that tick was pretty disgusting. Before attaching it looks like a normal tick but engorged it turned a sickly shade of blue.) There is apparently another pill, Bravecto, that says it is good for three months but in the fine print it looked like it was good for only two months for some types of ticks. Anyway, here is hoping Raiden is doing well.

EddieWalker · Mar 10, 2016

Thank you,

Raiden is doing a lot better. Yesterday, for the first time, he started playing the You Cant Catch Me game, where he runs by as close as he can without me being able touch him. Then turns around and does it again and again. This only lasted half a dozen passes, but it's a great sign. He used to love to do this as long as I would stand there and pretend to try and catch him. My wife took him for a walk this past weekend and he was good for almost an hour, but then he lost steam. In his current state, he has his limits. Once he hits the wall, there is no reserve and he's done. Other then that, it's just about impossible to tell he had been sick. We are probably the only ones who even notice that he's still recovering. He's very strong, his weight has come back and he has filled out to his previous size, and maybe gained a little. His appetite is HUGE!!!

Good to hear your Nexgard is working. Tick season is going to be bad this year and it only takes one to put a dog down.

EddieWalker · Oct 22, 2016

First picture is of our three Akitas taken two days ago. Kami is four months old and 37 pounds. She is from a kennel in Redding CA. Raiden is standing in the middle and 21 months old weighing 102 pounds. He has gained 20 pounds since being sick. Athena is our pet quality Akita and 82 pounds. She will be 4 years old in Jan.

Today Raiden went back into the show ring for the second time. Last week was his first time since suffering from Tick Paralysis. He did pretty good last week, but his game was off and he didn't place. Today, right after taking this picture with my wife, he won Winners Dog and earned another point towards becoming a champion!!!!!!!

DieselnHooters · Oct 22, 2016

I am not a dog person at all but I like the mugs on those, I am not familiar with Akitas but they look like they would feel more at home in my climate than way down south in Texas.

EddieWalker · Oct 22, 2016

They are a Japanese breed and they do love the cold weather. When we get down into the teens during Winter, and the news keeps saying to bring your pets in, they like to sleep outside on the porch. We have a huge fight door, so they come in and out when they want.

TractorGuy · Oct 22, 2016

I had a hound that got into a tick bush one time. He staggered up to the house and fell over on the front pad. We knew immediately what his problem was because he was covered in tiny ticks. I had a bottle of Sulfadine so I poured it on him and lathered it in good. He woke up like flipping a switch. Vet told us he was experiencing tick paralysis.

EddieWalker · Nov 6, 2016

9 months after waking up and finding Raiden unable to walk, get up or lift his head up all the way to today has been an amazing journey. If we had waiting another day, he probably would have died. The Tick Paralysis would have shut down his lungs next. His recovery was very slow, and for months he struggled with walking and not falling down. Then he couldn't even step over anything without falling down. Then one day he ran for the first time. It was clumsy, but a huge improvement. Then he jumped over the logs around the flower beds and kept on going without falling down. Baby steps, but very exciting seeing them happen.

Raiden is a show dog. Before his setback, he had won a few shows and had 5 points toward his championship. These where all single points from different shows. In the previous two weeks, Raiden won another 6 points at two different show and maxed out his single points. The rest have to be from two different majors, which are worth at least two points each. The goal is to get to 15 with 4 points being double points from a major show. This requires a certain number of other dogs to be there to compete against.

Yesterday he won his first major for a total of 4 points. Since it's just the one show, he still needs another show to get his second major win and become a Champion AKC Dog. We are hoping it happens today, but understand that with different judges, you get different results every day.

The judge who awarded Raiden Best of Winners Dog said that he was the only dog in the ring that "asked her for it" The judges words!!!!

Here are a few pictures from yesterday when he won his first Major. The lady with him is a very good friend of ours that has been working with Akitas for over 20 years and very highly respected. She is the one who is teaching my wife everything about showing them and competing in the ring.