Skin-deep itch that ticks off pets

Every third adult dog coming to my chamber is down with tick fever these days,” says vet.

Every third adult dog coming to my chamber is down with tick fever these days,” says vet Krishanu Ghosh, who sits at Animal Planet’s Salt Lake and New Town centres. “If diagnosed early, medicines can cure the dogs but in some cases it’s too late.” It’s pet parents who are fretting the most. “We lost our Labrador Snowy to tick fever last year and this time our other Lab Buddy has got it,” said Ananya Mitra of Uni world City, who had rushed Buddy to Animal Planet for a tick bath and doctor’s consultation. The Telegraph Salt Lake speaks to vets to understand why ticks are so dangerous and how to keep our dogs safe from them. Ticks are the tiny eight-legged parasites that stick to your dog’s body. “They feed on mammals, birds and reptile’s blood.

“The problem at hand is the Brown Dog Tick, that prefers dog’s blood and that is spreading rapidly at present.” While a dog’s normal body temperature is 101°F, an infected dog would have 103° to 106°F fever for three to four days. Warning signs are a dry nose and muzzle, excessive panting, lethargy, weakness and loss of appetite.

If your dog shows symptoms, consult a vet and arrange for blood tests. It is best to have the dog’s blood collected when he is running temperature. “Many people feel that ticks are unavoidable on dogs and that’s a dangerous thought. A single infected tick can kill a dog and so the existing ones must be eliminated and new ticks must be stopped from latching on,” says Ghosh, adding that there is no vaccine against these diseases.

 

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