and Lyme.  By far, Ehrlichia is the most common of these that we diagnose, followed by Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  Including a Lyme disease vaccination in our preventative medicine protocol helps to keep Lyme the least common tick disease that we diagnose and treat.

The symptoms of ehrlichia range from mild to severe, depending upon the phase of the infection and your dog's own physical reaction to the parasite.

    Phase 1: Acute Phase -  During the early stage of infection, you may not notice any changes in your dog, or you may notice that your dog seems a bit depressed, has lost his or her appetite or simply has a runny nose or eyes.  Regardless of what you see externally, inside your dog the parasite is disrupting the production of red and whiteblood cells in the bone marrow. These cells are essential to maintaining many normal body functions.

   Phase 2: Subclinical Phase -  This phase may last for years.  In some dogs, the immune system (or infection fighting system) may be able to eliminate the parasite.  During this phase, some of the changes that occur in the acute phase may return.  If the dog is unable to eliminate the parasite, damage to the bone marrow may continue and the dog will progress to the chronic phase.

   Phase 3: Chronic Phase – In  the third stage of an untreated infection, your dog would unlikely show more severe signs of illness.  These symptoms can last for years.  The severity and the progression of the disease varies from dog to dog, but are linked to your dog's age and exposure to other diseases.  You may see nose bleeds or blood in the dog's urine. Many other problems can develop, such as in the kidneys, the nervous system and the reproductive system. Joints my also be affected.  In severe cases, these conditions are life threatening.

How is Ehrlichia diagnosed?

Because of the high incidence of Ehrlichia in our area, Vilonia Animal Clinic is committed to early screening.  The earlier the detection, the better the outcome.  When your dog is tested for heartworms during the annual check up, we also screen for Ehrlichia.  In certain situations, we send blood samples to an outside lab for verification and to test for other tick diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  Our doctors will also run a Coagulation Profile to check how the parasite has affected the blood's clotting ability and red blood cell count.

How is Ehrlichia treated?

We are committed to treating dogs positive for Ehrlichia aggressively and to staying current on the most effective treatment protocol.  Injectable and oral antibiotics will be administered over a period of weeks. There will be mid-treatment blood testing to monitor the effect of the medication.  Some dogs may need additional medication to increase red blood cell production.  In the acute phase of the infection, treatment generally relieves clinicial signs quickly.  However, all antibiotics must be given to be completely effective. In the chronic phase, there will be gradual improvement in your dog and drug therapy my be required for a longer period.

How can I prevent Ehrlichia infection in my dog?

The key to prevention is the control of exposure to ticks.  We recommend a topical tick prevention, likeFrontline Plus, and / or effective tick collars, such as Preventic Plus.  In tick infested areas, the environment must be controlled as well.