Dog bit by tick

[mykel mouse]

While my dog was being groomed today. The groomer noticed 3 tics on him. A round ring was around one of the ticks. When we called the vet the receptionist said to wait 5 weeks to see symptoms and then bring him in at that point. Does that make any sense? This is our first time dealing with such a situatioin

 

[lovetoscrap]

This needs to be on our Community Board. I am moving it there.

 

[mykel mouse]

Thanks. As you can see I am a rookie to this.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I'd call a different Vet. At the very least the animal should have the spots checked for infection if a rash is noticed, the Vet sounds like a Quack (only funny if the dog is ok)

 

[christiane]

While my dog was being groomed today. The groomer noticed 3 tics on him. A round ring was around one of the ticks. When we called the vet the receptionist said to wait 5 weeks to see symptoms and then bring him in at that point. Does that make any sense?

No! Ticks carry several diseases, depending on where you live.

Did you groomer save any of the ticks? If you live in an area that has Lyme Disease, the ticks should be tested for the bacteria that cause this disease. One of the symptoms of Lyme Disease is a "bullseye" rash. Does the red ring looks like a bullseye?

Were the ticks attached? If so, were they removed properly?

The receptionist should not be giving any advice. At the very least, she should have recommended the vet talk to you about tick prevention so your dog doesn't get any more.

I would call & speak to the vet personally. If they won't talk to you, then I would be looking for a new vet.

 

[deedeetoo]

I thought the ring that indicates lyme disease takes awhile to develop. Maybe that's why the vet was a bit suspicious. If he starts getting swollen joints or other symptoms, they can treat it with antibiotics and it goes away. Just try to be aware of any symptoms.

On the subject of ticks, dogs are tick magnets. I'm surprised this is the first time you've had the problem. Every time our dog comes inside we check him for ticks. If he's been in the woods, we can easily pull 5 off him immediately after entering the house. We use frontline plus so they don't bother him, but they crawl off him and get on us whch is our main concern. While ticks are yucky, most do not carry disease. Everyone in our family has had ticks attached and we've had no signs of lyme disease.

 

[Hannathy]

what kind of tick was it? If it was dog tick you don't have to worry (at least for Lyme). I hope you saved the tick, that is what the vet should have wanted to see. Who took the ticks off ? The groomer should be able to tell from the tick whether it was a dog tick or a deer tick which is what carries Lyme disease.
Were they big or very tiny. Deer ticks are very tiny, dog ticks are much bigger especially when engorged.

I'm confused tho that a dog groomer who took the ticks off didn't know the difference in ticks. Doesn't sound very professional to me. I'm also surprised the vet didn't want to know what type it was either.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My DH found a deer tick embedded in his skin two weeks ago. It had a red ring around it. We estimated it had been there for just about 36 hrs based on when he had walked the dog in the woods the day before (which would have been the only place he could have gotten it). I removed it and he was immediately started on a course of doxycycline. I saved the tick but they didn't even send it off for testing, they said it didn't matter. The important thing was that he got quick treatment and we're hopeful the antibiotics will eradicate any bacteria that entered his system so Lyme related problems don't develop down the line, which in humans can be quite serious. They are following bloodwork on him also.

From what I understand, dogs typically don't get a bullseye rash. They usually present with lameness and swollen glands, etc, which can start to begin around 4-6 weeks after the bite/infection. (My own theory is that this could at least in part be because fur does a good job of hiding most rashes. ) They look at bloodwork and begin antibiotics at that time. (This is probably what the receptionist was referring to, but I agree you need to talk to the vet.) My feeling is that since the dog has a KNOWN RASH around the tick already, and if the tick was small and dark, then it makes sense just to treat with antibiotics. Why wait for symptoms to develop? I guess problems associated with Lyme are less in dogs than in humans, but they can get serious kidney problems and even die, so why even go there when treatment is so simple (and inexpensive)? So my guess would be that the vet will prescribe antibiotics. And if they don't, I'd go for another opinion. I would absolutely want my dog on antibiotics NOW.

Here's more info for you to read:

How Is Lyme Disease Treated?

Treatment of early Lyme disease is straightforward. The American College Of Veterinary Internal Medicine recommends a 30-day treatment with doxycycline. If kidney function tests were abnormal they suggest the pet stay on the medication longer and that it receive a diet formulated to minimize kidney problems.

Other antibiotics are effective in treating early Lyme disease, but they are not as effective in treating the other disease organisms that ticks often carry and which may be in your pet’ system as well.

If your pet is experiencing joint pain, an anti-inflammatory NSAI such as Remadyl might be prescribed.

Dogs given antibiotics early in Lyme disease improve. But there is doubt that the organism is ever entirely eliminated from their body. Most veterinarians feel that it goes into remission but continues to lurk in the body in some sleeping, inactive form.

You veterinarian may want to run additional follow up blood and kidney tests subsequent to treatment. We are hopeful that repeat tests that show that your pet's C6 antibody level is dropping is evidence that the antibiotics and your pet's immune system are eliminating a large the number of Borillia from its body.

http://www.2ndchance.info/lyme.htm

How is Lyme disease in dogs treated?

Treatment for Lyme disease is very straightforward and consists of using either a tetracycline or penicillin-based antibiotic. The two most commonly used are oral doxycycline or amoxicillin. A recent study showed that both antibiotics worked equally well. The antibiotics must be given a minimum of 14 days, but 30 days is recommended. However, some preliminary studies show that some animals may not even clear the organism after 30 days and will relapse once the antibiotic is discontinued. In these cases, the animal may have to be on the antibiotic for much longer. It appears that many animals may never completely rid themselves of B. burgdorferi despite antibiotic treatment. These animals may never show any further signs of the disease. Despite the fact that some animals may develop chronic infections, the vast majority of infected dogs respond rapidly and satisfactorily to doxycycline treatment. In some animals with severe arthritis, pain relievers may also be used in addition to antibiotics. The use of steroids in this disease is definitely contraindicated.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1556&aid=458

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_humandisease_treatment.htm

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/cliented/lyme.aspx

 

[mykel mouse]

So I took the dog to the vet today and here is the outcome.

Lyme disease behaves differently in dogs than people.

Basically the vet said to not give antibodies until the dog shows signs of lyme. Her opinion is that there is no advantage to give an antibody now as oppose to giving it when the dog shows signs of lyme. A positive test for lyme will not register in the blood for 5 to 7 weeks.

I asked the question of a ring showing around a tic bite is a sign of a tic carying lyme so why not start antibodies several different ways and she felt confident the right choice was to wait and see if the dog shows signs of lyme and then give antibodies.

We will see what the future holds for the boy.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'd find a different vet. My late dog Ted had Lyme's even with the vaccine on board, and he was pretty sick for a week until the meds kicked in.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Basically the vet said to not give antibodies until the dog shows signs of lyme. Her opinion is that there is no advantage to give an antibody now as oppose to giving it when the dog shows signs of lyme. A positive test for lyme will not register in the blood for 5 to 7 weeks.

I asked the question of a ring showing around a tic bite is a sign of a tic carying lyme so why not start antibodies several different ways and she felt confident the right choice was to wait and see if the dog shows signs of lyme and then give antibodies.

It seems a shame to let a harmful and possibly lethal bacteria grow in a dog's body - potentially doing damage to joints and organs - when there's an easy and effective preventative treatment available. I can guarantee you it's a lot easier giving a dog a pill twice a day than to watch him unable to walk or wincing in pain every time he does and wondering what happened and if he'll ever get better. Well what happened was that bacteria festered in his body and invaded everything when it really didn't have to.

Why are we doing vaccinations, bloodwork, tick preventative, dips, etc, to avoid things like LYME DISEASE yet when we have a very high likelihood of actually having Lyme disease, we "wait and see what happens"? Makes no sense at all to me.

 

[LindaR]

Wow. This os going to be hard for me to write about. Two weeks ago, we had to put our beloved Jake (age 9) to sleep.

In late June, he became sick. Lyme Disease is NOT common in my area. After two weeks and $900 in xrays and lab work (BTW, the blood test for Lyme is much more detailed AND expensive than a normal workup) he was finally diagnosed with Lyme. He was on antibiotics for three weeks. They made him nauseous. He was losing weight rapidly. Back to the vet. Another $300.

I will skip to the end. Lyme creates a permanent lameness (made worse by the arthritis he already had) and he was trying to get by using three legs (front right leg atrophied....no muscle, lots of pain). He quit eating again and could no longer get up.

He was so miserable and started having accidents in the house. We took him to the vet. It was the hardest thing I've ever done.

Besides the massive expense (roughly $1800 in all), he NEVER recovered from the Lyme Disease. Despite monthly grooming (bath) and frequent brushing, no tick had ever been found on him.

I would REALLY do some research on Lyme in pets (not people). I would have him treated NOW and pray that its caught early.

 

[walden]

Why are we doing vaccinations, bloodwork, tick preventative, dips, etc, to avoid things like LYME DISEASE yet when we have a very high likelihood of actually having Lyme disease, we "wait and see what happens"? Makes no sense at all to me.

But not everyone does do vaccinations, tick, and even heartworm preventatives and such. You and I are probably a lot more careful and experienced than many perfectly good pet owners.

To the OP:

Usually the tick has to be on the dog for 24 hours to transmit any disease, but tick bites can also become infected. The red circle could be an infection (not an indicator of Lyme) so keep an eye on the site. A round of antibiotics (Doxycycline) might be in order if you are worried in any case.

There are several tick borne diseases (TBD). The major four TBDs are Ehrlichia, Babesia canis, Lyme and RMSF - Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. FYI, you have to be very careful with ticks because some of these can also affect humans. However, a dog (or human) can be bitten and get off scot-free if the tick is not infected.

It would help to know the kind of tick your groomer found. In some ways your vet was right: A TBD will not show up in a titer for 5 to 7 weeks. The vet will do a titer to see whether your dog has been exposed (warning $$). Only if that is positive - and it is not fail safe - can he/she recommend the right antibiotic. Doxycycline is not effective in all cases but is a good first step if you are worried.

Your best bet is to use a tick preventive on your dog if you live in a tick area and check every.single.day. for ticks. We use Frontline Plus, but there are many others. We also vaccinate against Lyme, but it is not 100% effective.

I have retired racing greyhounds. Because they are transported around the country with no tick preventatives in their racing days we are alert for the TBDs. We have treated one for Babesia and one for Erlichia and both survived.

LindaR, so sorry to hear about your loss. Lyme is a serious disease that creeps up on you. Those tiny deer ticks are almost impossible to spot.

 

[DSNY4ever]

A few years ago we noticed a huge tick bite on our dog that got a GIANT bullseye ring (right on his belly) and we took him to the vet and he looked at it and just said "don't worry, call us back if you think it gets infected or doesn't start clearing soon."

It went away in a few days and that was the end of that. So hopefully this is the same for your dog!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

But not everyone does do vaccinations, tick, and even heartworm preventatives and such. You and I are probably a lot more careful and experienced than many perfectly good pet owners.

By "we" I meant the Veterinary Community/Establishment.

 

[walden]

By "we" I meant the Veterinary Community/Establishment.

Gotcha. A case of leading horses to water but not being able to force them to drink.

 

[shelly3girls]

Our dog had a tick with a small ring around it. Our vet said that the ring was just the skins reaction/iritation to the tick. We kept an eye on it but the ring went away and she never had any sign of illness. Hopefully this is true of your dog also.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Another excellent article on Lyme Disease in dogs written by a veterinarian.

http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/lyme.html

Keeping other disorders in mind, if I suspect Lyme Disease, I start treatment immediately, generally prescribing an antibiotic such as tetracycline and possibly some aspirin if the dog is in a lot of pain. Many veterinarians do not wait for blood tests to confirm the tentative diagnosis because in dogs the information obtained may be confusing and require too much time to hear back from the lab. I have seen patients that from clinical experience I know have Lyme Disease, yet their blood test curiously indicates no exposure to the disease. And there are numerous cases of normal-appearing, healthy dogs with positive blood tests for Lyme Disease.

Fortunately, over ninety percent of dogs treated within the first week of obvious signs of Lyme Disease will respond rapidly to treatment with a tetracycline antibiotic. This medicine is administered for at least three weeks. In my experience, five percent of dogs will have some type of relapse of signs such as cardiac or neurological difficulties even after treatment . Some of these patients will experience chronic, lifelong joint pain from the damage caused by the bacteria and its direct and indirect stress to joint tissues. The earlier the antibiotic is started in the course of the disease, the better the patient's chances of a complete recovery.

Erythema migrans is not common in dogs and I have seen only two cases displaying the red rash.

This was a good video as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEAt6ZIUUsA