Warning: Undefined variable $href_target in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/phpGiggle/phpgiggle-config.inc.php on line 44
Does my dog have a tick borne disease? | Ask A Vet
 

 


Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Tick Borne Disease.

Species: Dog
Breed: goldeb retriever
Age: 5-8 years
I took my dog to the vet on both Friday and Saturday. He has a fever. He has a thick, ropy saliva in his mouth. He is not eating much, and he is not drinking much at all. He did perk up after receiving IV fluids yesterday, but he has steadily weakened today. He is very lethargic and has trouble moving. He had a chest x-ray and also an ultrasound, which showed no abnormalities in his major organs. He had bloodwork done as well -- there was some elevation in his white blood cell count, but the vet stated it was due to stress from the test and not indicative of an underlying condition. In the past, he had lyme's disease. He tested positive for lyme in the vet's office this time, but he has received a lyme vaccination since he was a puppy. Right now, I am assuming he has a tick-borne disease. The vet prescribed him doxycycline, and is operating under the assumption that he has some tick-borne disease that is treatable. The vet tested him for tick-borne diseases, and the tests were positive. I am wondering if his symptoms, however, will abate -- or when they will begin abating. Last night I started administering doxycycline. What other illnesses might explain his condition, if it isn't a tick-borne disease that explains his symptoms (notwithstanding a positive test result for lyme and another tick-borne disease)?


Warning: Undefined variable $related_questions in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Deprecated: strlen(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Warning: Undefined variable $related_articles in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Deprecated: strlen(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi there John...it sounds like you and Bailey have been through a frustrating time! This is a tough one for me to answer but I'll tell you my thoughts on what you have written so far.

First of all, do you know which type of tick borne disease he was positive for? This can really change my answer. Some possible tick borne diseases include ehrlichiosis, rocky mountain spotted fever and again, lyme disease.

None of these would directly cause the ropy saliva...I am wondering if this is due to nausea. Do you know if your vet ran a PLI level? This is a test that is specific for pancreatitis. Pancreatitis does not always show up on regular bloodwork.

Another thought...has your vet done an aspirate of his lymph nodes? At this age, we worry sometimes about lymphoma which is a cancer that can affect the lymph nodes. It doesn't always show up on bloodwork. We sometimes see changes on xrays and ultrasound but sometimes in the early stages of the disease we don't.

Doxycycline is good for most tick borne disease. If we are dealing with a tick borne problem then it is hard to say when symptoms should abate but we should see a gradual increase in his condition from day to day. The fact that he has slipped back again a little has made me worried.

Let me know if you know the name of the tick diseases he is positive for and I'll give you some more information.

Dr. Marie



Warning: Undefined variable $displayed in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/answer_np.php on line 253
Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Brown spots on puppy's belly. Hi Doctor. I've noticed an area along my puppies belly down to her private area... (64114 views)

Can I get toxoplasmosis from my dog? I've caught my dog eating stray cat feces in my yard several times. I would then... (45120 views)

Won't eat kidney diet. My cat is 17 years old. She has kidney disease and has been on kidney food (both... (19840 views)

Mucus in kitten's eyes. I found a kittin this moring it appeared to have mucus around the eyes and nose. I... (29293 views)

Feral cat with problems. There is a a trio of feral cats that we have been feeding, and over the last few... (16561 views)

One puppy in litter died. I had five yookiepoo pups. One has died. Yesterday was the first day that it acted... (20060 views)

Patches of hair loss on snout. Hi, my dog Penelope has started to develop a patch of hair loss on the right side of... (24496 views)

Regular vs baby aspirin I have run out of baby aspirin so is it ok to give a dog just one low dose bayer... (24660 views)

Grunting pitbull I have two pit bulls, one is Maverick (female) and the other is Diezel (male). I... (15510 views)

Sneezing guinea pig. My guinea pig is sneezing and wiping her nose more frequntly than she did... (25342 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.