FYI, Fatal Tick Bite in Dogs

[teejk]

Do have the vet check for anaplasmosis. It started in New England (like Lyme) and has spread west and south (and a lot of vets may not know anything about it). It will not show on a Lyme test. Treatment is basically the same with antibiotics but unlike Lyme it never goes away. Our old cocker had periodic relapses evident by the reluctance to climb stairs (back on the antibiotics for a week or so and then he was fine...after we educated our vet he didn't even bother see to him...just renewed the scrip). I did hear of another tick-borne disease (can't remember the name) that is spreading from the west. I know a lot is due to increasing deer populations (carriers) but the real culprit might be coyotes.

 

[Ed of all trades]

My two dogs get frontline year round as ticks become active right above freezing.

And heart worm year round as well.

Yes my wife found a tick bite on Dec. 5 and on the 18 a bulls eye showed up. It can happen most times of the year. Ed

 

[teejk]

Yes my wife found a tick bite on Dec. 5 and on the 18 a bulls eye showed up. It can happen most times of the year. Ed

Years ago we hung a deer on a "buck pole". Once the carcass started cooling off the ground was crawling with ticks as they bailed out seeking a new host. Those were the visible wood ticks. The bad ones (tiny...like the size of a pencil point) weren't prevalent then. They are very difficult to detect until that bulls-eye rash appears (IF it appears).

 

[NoTrespassing]

What did you dilute it down to on the horses? Flies can get really bad and so far, we're not winning this battle.

There are a lot of premixed Permethrin treatments for animals but it's cheaper to make it yourself from concentrate. I would consult a vet for the strength but just looking at the web they are claiming 10% Permethrin. Look at the concentrate label and add water accordingly.

Permethrin | EquiMed - Horse Health Matters

 

[EddieWalker]

One of the things that we are hearing from friends is suggestions on fighting tick born diseases. We did a tick panel blood test for tick diseases just to cover everything and make sure there wasn't a disease along with the neurological reaction to the bite.



Tick Paralysis is not a disease. It is an allergic reaction that affects the nervous system. The only way to test for it requires very specialized equipment. Here, we would go down to Texas A&M to have them done. The would do a Myelogram for the nervous system and an MRI just to make sure there wasn't an spinal issues. If he doesn't get better after ten days, that's what we will do.

This is a fairly common thing to happen, we just never heard of it. We now know quite a few people that have told us about losing their pets to this because they waited too long to get to the vet. We where borderline. Should have reacted sooner and taken him in when he first started losing his balance and then the next day, having trouble getting up. Waiting until he wasn't able to move was a horrible mistake!!!!

Today is his forth day of taking steroids and antibiotics. He is more alert and just a touch stronger. He tires out very quickly, but he can get himself up for a minute or so, he has walked for 20 to 30 feet at a time, and he is now holding his head up while laying down and looking around.

 

[toppop52]

Thanks Sarg, we have something very similar to that. Unfortunately with the really thick coats on our Akita's, it doesn't work very well. Karen is a RN and she just tears them out when she finds them and puts them in the wood stove to burn. We are going to spray the yard and hope that helps. It's just going to have to be something that we make a priority like treating for termites.

When we bought this property there was a small herd of deer living on it, raising young, the first year we built the house there were ticks everywhere. My wife was bitten 3-4 times that spring and I got several off me before they attached. I used my broadcast spreader to apply Spectracide granules in the back yard for about 60 yards back and to the sides where the deer were. It only used about 40 lbs, since I've been putting out 20 lbs every spring and the activity around here has driven the deer away somewhat, but I've never seen another tick. It was instantaneous almost, I can sit in my grass now and not get up with ticks on my butt! LOL

 

[EddieWalker]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick_paralysis

More information on Tick Paralysis.

 

[EddieWalker]

Here is a good link that explains what is happening to Raiden.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demyelinating_disease

 

[EddieWalker]

It's been one week since we woke up to find Raiden unable to stand up. Today we took him to the vet and had him do a followup to see how he is doing. The vet said that everything looks good and that he is on the road to recovery. Nothing more to do but wait and let him heal.

He lost 2.6 pounds in one week.

His appetite has always been good, but yesterday it jumped to the point he can't get enough food. The vet said that was a good sign.

If you see your dog fall over or lose coordination, look for ticks and get him to the vet right away. We didn't find the tick until we where there at the vet, and we had looked for hours. Once the tick is removed, it no longer causes additional paralysis. Then it's a matter of time until he regains use of his muscles. His muscles are fine, he just can't control them, or even use them until he heals.

We got lucky in getting him treated when we did. Another day and it would have been worse. Maybe fatal. If we had gotten him to the vet on the first day I noticed something, it would have been a simple thing to take care of without months of healing that is still ahead of him.

It is expected to take 3 months for 100% recovery.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Glad to hear he is on the road to recovery. Even if it is a long road. Ed

 

[Richard]

Eddie, I also want to thank you for posting this.

It might be timely for us.

Our dog, Chloe (the star of the family) is a little acrobat. She's probably 12 years old but our vet says she's as energetic as any puppy they've seen. She's really been in fabulous health... until recently.

Now she's twitching. She did a front stumble, sort of like how I interpret your dog to have slipped on the wooden floor. We were outside coming back to the house and her body just rolled in what I'll call a front summersault.

Lethargy, no appetite and I mean NO appetite. I put peanut butter on my finger, moistened dog food, dog food from a can, sliced cheddar cheese, Velveeta cheese, fake bacon, REAL bacon, hamburger.... nothing.

She went to the vet other day and he gave her some antibiotics and a pain killer. Doing a tic blood test and results due back tomorrow.

I will probably take her in tomorrow, unannounced, with plans to leave her for the day/overnight if need be so if nothing else, they can get some food and maybe hydration in her.

You don't go from doing backflips & sprints across the fields to two days later, acting like you're on your deathbed unless something is wrong.

Reading this is what made me tell him without hesitation, YES, do the tic blood tests.

Hope Raiden comes out of this. Thank you again for the topic.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you and I wish you the best of luck in treating your dog. Did you do a thorough search for ticks on your dog? It took us close to 4 hours of looking to finally find one tick on our dog. Removing the tick is critical. The sooner it's removed, the sooner it stops poisoning the dog.

Our dog never lost his appetite. We're not sure how he lost 2.6 pounds in one week. We had to hold the bowl of food up to his mouth so he could eat, he couldn't lift his own head!!!!

 

[EddieWalker]

Today is the first day Raiden was able to stand up on the tile and wood floors by himself. He still can't run or jump, but every day we notice him do something new that he wasn't able to do since getting sick.

 

[Alien]

Several months ago Our middle dog Reno suddenly went down. We searched for a tick and could find nothing.
He was totally incapacitated. We took him to the Vet and she went over him thoroughly. He was very close to death. It was difficult to hear a heartbeat, he was cold and the Vet could not even draw blood from anywhere.
We were very upset as Reno is just the best of dogs, very intelligent and understands all that you say to him.
Turns out he had fluid around his heart and his heart was under pressure. This meant a 100 klm trip to a dog surgeon and the Vet said that he would not make it. It was also very expensive.
Our wonderful Vet spoke to the surgeon and then said to us that Renos only chance was for her to do the operation, something she had never done before. She said she had all the equipment and had done similar surgeries but never the heart sack.
We had little choice as at that stage our Reno was virtually gone. We had left him at the surgery and when she rang we gave her the go ahead to try. It was Renos only and last chance.
An hour or so later the Vet rang and told us that it had gone well and Reno was showing signs of recovery and asked if we wanted to come to the surgery. Naturally we drove into town straight away. (30 klm) When we arrived Reno saw us and got excited and sat up. A short time later he was walking around much to our joy. We asked Reno if he wanted to go home and he wagged is tail excitedly.
The vet could see no reason for him to stay and after a final check Reno walked out to the car with us. His post-op recovery was amazing.

However, the Vet did warn us that this could re-occur at any time. Could be a week or a few months or, in some cases, maybe never.
So far Reno is back to his old self. He shows no signs of any problems and we are so grateful to that wonderful Vet.
Incidentally she only charged a percentage of what it would have cost normally. How good is that? She thought Reno was a wonderful dog.

The reason I tell this story, is that we at first thought it was a tick.
Apparently this is quite common in dogs but we had never heard of it before this. So, by all means look for ticks, but remember it could be a snake bite or another ailment as in Renos case. Let your Vet check it out before it is too late.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Today is the first day Raiden was able to stand up on the tile and wood floors by himself. He still can't run or jump, but every day we notice him do something new that he wasn't able to do since getting sick.

Glad to hear your Raiden is getting better. Thanks for posting this. There is another deer disease here in Texas that has the experts baffled. They call it Chronic Wasting Disease IIRC.

 

[Buppies]

Glad Raiden is doing well now. Ticks are especially bad here with all the pine trees

 

[farmer2009]

Good To hear he's doing better Eddie. Hope he continues to recover.

We used to mix Permethrin with diesel fuel and pour over a rub and face flaps for our cows. Hang the rub in a place they must walk through to get food, mineral or water. Not only did it control flies (our goal) but ticks also. Now I just mix with water and spray the cows when they are in the barn lot. Maybe twice a year. I use ear tags that control flies now.

Had Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever as a child. Don't remember it.

I also spray the yard once or twice a year with either a Permethrin spray or I mix up Sevin and spray it. Both work well.

 

[JimRB]

On topic about weird symptoms related to bugs or not.

I had a cousin diagnosed 10 or more years ago with MS. Last year they discovered it really was Lyme Disease.

We have a dog that twice got vertigo. Hard to walk, head carried with a tilt. It took a few months to clear up each time. Now he is weak in the back end, but he is 14 years old which is old for a Lab mutt. Idiopathic or ?Old Dog? Vestibular Disease | The Bark

On the same note of odd diseases, we have a horse that went from healthy to weak in the back end quickly. EPM, which does not have a good diagnostic blood work tool is the likely cause. http://americashorsedaily.com/epm-symptoms-in-horses/#.VsHWiPkrKHs

 

[newbury]

Note-
Via PM Eddie wrote that Raiden seems to be on the full road to recovery. He still can't jump tall buildings with a single bound but he's getting there. I admonished him to provide an update to this thread.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for thinking about Raiden. It's hard to believe that three weeks ago today, we woke up to him being unable to stand, sit up or even lift his head for more then a minute before having to lower it again. We thought the worse and expected to have to put him down when we got to the vet. Not knowing about Tick Paralysis, or even hearing about anything like this also added to our fear of what had happened to him.

Since removing the tick, giving him tick medicine, steroids and antibiotics, his recovery has been steady. We notice him do something "normal" again almost daily. The other day he was able to go up the stairs and back down again without falling. A week ago, he went up two steps, but fell trying to come back down. We've kept them blocked off since this started, but thought he was strong enough for the stairs. He wasn't, but now he's doing fine going up and down them.

He still falls down when trying to jump over the logs we have around the flower gardens. He is able to run for short bursts, but not flat out. It's more of a fast jog. He is playing rough with our other Akita, but it doesn't last as long as it used to before his injury. We can see the intensity increasing in their play. They are very rough!!!

The way he is getting better, we know that next week he will be even better. It's been a steady increase in his energy, strength and weight. I don't know how much he's gained, but he looks thicker and feels bigger when you pet him. Our plan is to give him the full 3 months to recover before showing him again. If he never goes back in the ring, that's OK too.