• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
  
  • Caused by a rickettsial organism
  
  
  • Can be transmitted by many tick sp. including the American dog tick. Tick must be attached six hours to transmit this organism
  
  
  • Symptoms can be vague flu-liked
  
  


• Erlichiosis (Tick Fever)
  
  
  
  • Caused by a rickettsial organism
  
  
  • Can be transmitted by the brown dog tick
  
  
  • Symptoms, which can include spontaneous bleeding from the nose, also appear flu-liked
  
  
  
  
• Lyme Disease
  
  
  
  • Caused by a spirochete organism
  
  
  • Can be transmitted by the deer tick
  
  
  • Symptoms can also be vague flu-liked, but often include joint pains and arthritis
  
  
  • A vaccine is available for prevention in dogs
  
  
  
  
• Babesiosis
  
  • Caused by the protozoan parasite, babesia
  
  
  • Can be transmitted by the American dog tick
  
  
  • Symptoms are similar to malaria
  
  
  
  

All of the above diseases are usually treatable in early stages, but can be fatal if untreated.

• Tick Paralysis
  
  • Most commonly caused by the female hard tick
  • Symptoms include a flaccid paralysis progressing from the back to front of the affected animal and is due to a toxin injected when the ticks feed. If respiratory or cardiac arrest has not occurred, removal of the tick(s) usually leads to a rapid and complete recovery.
  
  


• Hepatozoon canis ( A recently discovered tick-borne disease that is currently spreading northward from the gulf coast area)
  
  
  
  • Caused by a protozoan parasite
  
  
  • Primarily carried by the brown dog tick
  
  
  • Not harmful to humans
  
  
  • A dog must ingest the infected tick to contact the disease.
  
  
  • Early symptoms can be flu-liked
  
  
  • Treatment is usually unsuccessful!

With the exception of Lyme disease, the only way to prevent the above tick-borne disease is with an effective tick control plan. Your local veterinarian can help you set up a safe and effective control plan. Ask your veterinarian about the vaccine for lyme disease and Frontline®. Indiscriminate use of insecticides and repellents can be harmful to you and your pet.