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It is difficult to assess how long your dog has been infected when the signs or symptoms appear. During this season it is very important to frequently go over your dog checking crevices like the armpit of the dog, ears, and all over your pet. These diseases can be fatal if not treated promptly. Be sure your dog is protected and check them often for ticks. Tick season is mostly in spring and summer but in Texas, it ain’t over yet! Top Four Southern Tick Borne Diseases
Professional medical intervention is necessary. Culprits Blacklegged (deer) tick Lone Star Ticks American Dog Ticks
REFERENCES:
“10 Types of Ticks That Can Make You Sick, Where They Live, and How to Identify Them.” Prevention, 6 Feb. 2023, www.prevention.com/health/g27419738/types-of-ticks/. Vsadmin. “Ticks: What You Need to Know.” VetCare Pet Hospital, 29 Mar. 2022, www.vetcarepethospital.ca/ticks-what-you-need-to-know/.
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surface temperature. Avoid walking on lawns because fertilizer or other yard chemicals can burn a dog’s paw pads. Protective booties are also available for your dog. A dog may not immediately show the pain of burned pads such as limping or licking the pads. Burned pads need to be examined and have running water over them. DO NOT ICE THEM BECAUSE ICE CAN MAKE THE BURN WORSE. Call your vet. DOGS AND CARS In less than 10 minutes a car can become a furnace. Even if the outdoor temperature is 78° a car’s interior temp can reach 120°. Imagine what it can be if it’s 90°! At 100° the interior can reach 170° Dogs cannot pant or sweat enough to cool themselves down. Heatstroke is a danger when a dog’s temperature reaches 105°. DOGS AND SUMMER PARASITES Ticks are one of three external summertime parasites for dogs. Some common tick-borne diseases are:
Some of these diseases can be transferred to humans by ticks. Lyme disease is one of the most serious concerns. Ticks can lay over 1000 eggs at one time. The most common ticks are the brown dog tick, deer tick, American dog tick, and the Lone Star tick. The adult lifespan is about 3 months to 3 years. Fleas and mites round out this list. Fleas can lay 20 – 40 eggs in a day for weeks, adult lifespan is about 100 days. When swallowed, fleas become tapeworms. Mites live in the fur and ears. They can cause intense itching in the ears and skin diseases like mange. Internal parasites include tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. Roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms can be contracted by humans. There are medications that can eliminate all worms in a single application. DOGS AND TOADS Toads have dry, bumpy skin and their back legs are not so long. They prefer to crawl versus hopping around and all toads are poisonous. The most likely and dangerous time to find a toad is at dawn or dusk from May to August. The places the toads enjoy are gardens, ditches, lakeshores, sandy soil, fountains, and anywhere with water including a dog’s water bowl. A toad such as Fowler’s toad (2”- 4”) soaking in a dog’s water dish can leave enough toxins behind to make the dog very sick. Usually, toads are only mildly toxic. When a dog gets a toad in its mouth small amounts of toxin are absorbed through the mucous membranes and the poison goes directly into the bloodstream. It can also cause vision issues if gotten in the eyes. The dog may paw at its mouth or eyes or both and whimper or cry. Inducing vomiting will not help because the toxin is not in the stomach. If your dog eats, chews, or licks a toad call your veterinarian. If you have to handle a toad, wash your hands. Take the toad or a picture of the toad to your veterinarian. DOGS, PLANTS, AND MUSHROOMS The top very toxic outdoor plants in Texas for dogs include aloe vera, amaryllis, azalea, begonia, caladiums, castor bean, daffodil, daisies, dumb cane, gladiola, holly, ivy, lilies, oleander, Sago palms, Texas Mountain Laurel, tomato plants, tulips, wisteria, and yew.
If your dog has any of these symptoms, call your vet:
Blood issues:
Take the plant or mushroom or a picture to show the veterinarian. DOGS AND HEATSTROKE Vomiting, confusion, dark red gums, dry or sticky gums, lethargy, tremors, seizures, excessive panting, thick pasty saliva, drooling, and fainting are signs of heatstroke. This can occur when the body temperature of a dog reaches or exceeds 105°. A dog’s natural temperature does not allow much room for getting overheated or having hyperthermia when he can no longer self-regulate his body temperature. The quickest thing to do to help your dog cool down is to get him in the shade or A/C. *NO ICE* Pour only slightly cool or tepid *NOT COLD* water over him or dip a towel in water and lay it over him briefly. Offer little sips of water. Call your vet immediately. If you have sports drinks with electrolytes ask if this would help. Dehydration and heat are problems. DOGS AND DISEASE It's easy to forget about a lot of things with your dog and summertime but do not forget that until your puppy has had his 16 week vaccination, he is susceptible to parvo. The other night we were at the animal ER and there was this beautiful Doberman puppy brought straight in to quarantine with parvo. Parvo is a deadly 10-day roller coaster ride. Central Texas is having a particularly hard time with it. Older dogs are not affected but they can carry and shed parvo. It lives for 48 hours on inanimate things. Wait out this brief period with you puppy at home. Be safe. References: Caplan, Christy. “What Happens When Your Dog Walks on Hot Pavement Is Painful and Avoidable with These Tips.” Pets, 18 June 2019, https://www.wideopenpets.com/pavement-too-hot-for-your-dog/. Burke, Anna. “Can Dogs Eat Mushrooms?” American Kennel Club, American Kennel Club, 21 Oct. 2019, https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-mushroom/. Wyoming Public Radio | By Ashley Piccone. “The Science (and Magic) of Wyoming's Fairy Rings.” Wyoming Public Media, 14 June 2021, https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/open-spaces/2021-03-12/the-science-and-magic-of-wyomings-fairy-rings.
warmer temperatures, exists in cold weather, and can jump over 6”. Fleas can lay 20 – 40 eggs in a day for weeks, adult lifespan is about 100 days, when a dog shakes, he sheds flea eggs. Fleas are external parasites. Flea dirt is actually feces and dried blood. Ear mites are another irritating parasite, but mites are actually a type of mange, Otodectic mange. Dedicated mite medicine or a 50/50 wash of alcohol and white vinegar over several days will help. Talk to your vet for details. DID YOU KNOW? TICKS ARE ARACHNIDS OR SPIDERS, NOT INSECTS. Ticks are six-legged as larvae and develop two more legs as they grow. Ticks are external parasites and can survive freezing weather. Ticks can lay over 1000 eggs at one time. Adult lifespan is about 3 months- 3 years. Their saliva cements them to their host. Ticks can transmit most commonly and most seriously Lyme Disease. Other diseases include Powassan virus, Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis (flu-like symptoms), and more. There are six tick-transmitted illnesses in Texas. Texas ticks include the Brown Dog tick, the American dog tick known as a Wood Tick, the Lone Star tick also known as the Seed Tick and finally, the Deer tick also known as the Blacklegged tick. A Lone Star Tick, found in Southeastern U.S., has a bite that can result in a red meat allergy with additional implications. Unlike the Deer Tick, the Dog Tick does not carry Lyme’s Disease. If you split the U.S. in half, biting ticks that transmit diseases, are primarily found in the eastern states from the Canadian border to southern Florida or Texas although the reports of Lyme’s Disease is moving westward.  IMAGE COURTESY OF TEXAS AGRILIFE IN WISE COUNTY Worms can be in the soil, feces, or develop from other living source. Roundworms are the most common and more so in puppies. Roundworms, hookworms and whipworms are spread animal to animal via roaches, rodents, earthworms and infected water and feces. Tapeworms are internal parasitic worms that start out as fleas, get swallowed by a dog and become tapeworms. They are white, flat and ribbon-like. The spiked head attaches to the intestine wall and feeds. The body is segmented. Parts break off, harden and eventually end up looking similar to white rice in the stool. They are capable of growing up to 50 feet depending on the host. They can live up to 30 years in a host. In a dog they grow to about 8 inches. Heartworms come from mosquitos and can only be managed through heartworm prescription medicine.  IMAGE COURTESY OF CORE DIFFERENCES Treatment is best with a single monthly chew from your veterinarian. A comprehensive parasite treatment program will keep these critters at bay when you treat your yard as well as your dog. Remember to spray 4’ up your fence and house when treating the yard.
DID YOU KNOW? BIRDS CAN CARRY PARVO AND SPREAD IT WITH THEIR DROPPINGS? References: By. “Extension Education in Wise County.” Texas A&M AgriLife Extention, 27 May 2021, https://wise.agrilife.org/2021/05/27/tick-information/. “Canine Skin Parasites Anatomical Model - Mite Flea Tick.” LFA, https://www.lakeforestanatomicals.com/dog-flea-tick-and-mite-anatomical-models-k9.html. Intriguing Facts about Fleas, Ticks & Worms | Canadavetcare. https://www.canadavetcare.com/blog/intriguing-facts-about-fleas-ticks-and-worms/. “Regions Where Ticks Live.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 May 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/geographic_distribution.html. Core. “17 Major Difference between Roundworm and Tapeworm with Table.” Core Differences, 19 Jan. 2021, https://coredifferences.com/difference-between-roundworm-and-tapeworm/. |
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