Tick season is back in full force in the Northeastern USA. In some areas of the country tick season never ends. Lyme disease gets all the credit when people think of tick-borne diseases but there are many other very prevalent tick-borne illnesses that can cause your dog to get very sick. See my other blogs about Ehrlichiosis and Lyme disease. Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that everyone should know about.
What is Anaplasmosis?
Anaplasmosis is also called "Dog Tick Fever." It is a bacterial infection caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which is transmitted by infected deer ticks (black legged tick) and the Western blacklegged tick.
Anaplasma platys is less common and transmitted by the brown dog tick.
Clinical signs of Anaplasmosis.
Dogs with Anaplasma phagocytophilum can present with a wide range of non-specific clinical signs such as:
Fever
Lethargy
Joint pain
Anorexia or decreased appetite
Vomiting/diarrhea
Coughing
Difficulty breathing
Very rarely neurological signs can be seen such as seizures
Dogs infected with Anaplasma platys typically have a decreased platelet count. This can cause symptoms such as:
Bruising
Bleeding
Petechiae- pin point areas of bleeding in the skin
How is Anaplasmosis diagnosed?
There are several different tests used to diagnose Anaplasmosis including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
The most common test used to diagnose Anaplasmosis is an antibody test. If your dog tests positive and they are not sick and do not have any other laboratory abnormalities, it means that your dog has either been exposed to Anaplasma or may be a chronic carrier for it. It is unknown whether dogs that are chronic carriers will eventually become sick or not. Because Anaplasmosis is considered an acute disease and not a chronic one, it is not recommended to treat dogs that are clinically healthy but test positive. Antibiotic therapy has not been proven to clear the organism in chronic infections, which is another reason why treatment in these cases is generally not recommended.
How is Anaplasmosis treated?
Doxycycline, an antibiotic, is the treatment of choice for Anaplasmosis. Treatment is for 2 to 4 weeks. Dogs that are treated for Anaplasmosis typically continue to test antibody positive despite clinical appearing normal. It is not recommended to treat again unless there are symptoms or blood abnormalities.
Can I get Anaplasmosis from my dog?
Anaplasmosis is considered a zoonotic disease, which means it has the potential to be transmitted to humans. However direct transmission from humans to dogs and vice versa has not been documented. If your dog develops Anaplasmosis then it means that ticks in your area are carrying the bacteria and that your dog could be a reservoir to continue to infect ticks.
How can I protect my dog from Anaplasmosis?
Keep ticks off of your dog!
Apply topical or give oral flea and tick preventatives
Inspect your dog for ticks after they have been outside
Treat your yard for ticks
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