Dan's Papers - July 11, 2008 - Pet Agree By Jenna Robbins

Unfortunately, dogs don't come with an instruction manual and for most people, especially those who are experiencing the care and nurturing of a dog for the first time, illness and injury can be frightening, and emotionally painful to say the least. Knowledge, awareness, and being prepared can help preserve your sanity and your dog's health, and possibly save his or her life.

I want to share something that happened to one of my favorite little friends last week. I noticed that Valentine was just not acting like herself. Yes, dogs do that, and it usually means something is brewing and needs to be investigated. As it turned out, she had a fever and it was getting higher as the time passed. It was late evening and our family veterinarian was gone for the day. We rushed to the 24/7 emergency pet care facility to be told 3 hours later that she most likely had Pyometra. symptoms, which may not be present and are not limited to: foul smelling vaginal discharge, enlarged abdomen because of the uterus filling with pus, vomiting, not eating, lethargy, drinking more, urinating more, fever and dehydration.

She is now recovering nicely and is back to good health following emergency "ovariohysterectomy" surgery. In other words, she was spayed. Being tuned in to your dogs behavior and habits, and knowing what signs to look for make you the best friend your best friend could ask for!

Take a look at some of these common, potentially life threatening situations.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Rickettsia rickettsii) is an illness transmitted by a tick carrying the bacteria. This same tick that infects humans can infect your dog -your dog cannot transmit it to you.

Ehrlichiosis is a tick borne illness also known as a rickettsia whereby your dog develops symptoms in three phases: the acute phase shows signs within the first few weeks after the bite. The sub-clinical phase is pivotal because it is during this time that the Ehrlichia leaves the body or passes on to the chronic phase - thereby remaining a chronic illness for months - with very serious symptoms and complications.

Lyme Disease (Borreliosis) - again, carried by ticks - and not all ticks at that. This particular illness is more familiar to North Easterners than the others, but can be just as nasty.

All three illnesses require blood testing; and usually more than one test, to confirm the suspicion of a tick borne illness. Checking your dog for ticks is always a good thing to do, but having said that, it can be like looking for that proverbial "needle in the haystack," particularly if you have a large breed dog with lots and lots of fur - as the ticks are generally smaller than a pen dot - so careful, thorough, and vigilant eye/hand examination is necessary. If you do find a tick, it must be removed carefully. If you are at all suspicious of your dog's behavior because he or she is lethargic, has difficulty walking or climbing stairs, appears achy, has a fever or you spent any time in a park or woods, or you actually have the evidence of a tick, you must take your dog to the vet immediately. Procrastinating can cost your dog their life -and the earlier the treatment, the better the chance for a cure.

There are vaccinations against lymes disease that you should discuss with your vet - particularly if you live in or plan to visit an area that is a hot spot for the illness. The illness is most prevalent during the spring and summer months, but ticks can live under leaves and will survive the winter months.

The best thing to do, which we concede is not always a choice, is to avoid these illnesses by staying clear of heavily forested areas - particularly areas that contain a deer population. Protect your dog with products like FrontLine and treat your property when possible with appropriate use of tick sprays (insecticides).

Tick borne illnesses require immediate and appropriate attention. If left untreated, death could result. The drug of choice for antibiotic treatment, prescribed by your vet to treat lymes and ehrlichiosis is doxycycline or amoxicillin - usually administered at high doses for a long period of time. Latest findings tell us that this is done in an attempt to avoid recurrences. However, a bout with these illnesses does not grant immunity against re-infection.