Ehrlichia

What is Ehrlichiosis?

Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by an unusual type of bacteria ( Ehrlichia ) that is carried by ticks. Dogs contract the disease through tick bites. Ehrlichiosis is related to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.

What are the signs of an infection with Ehrlichia?

The disease is systemic and often manifests in bleeding disorders as well as organ dysfunction, eye disorders, and enlarged lymph nodes. In chronic cases, the disease causes bone marrow suppression.

Often the dog does not become obviously sick until at least 2 months after the initial tick bite.

Because the disease causes abnormally low platelets, bleeding from the nose or blood in the urine can be one of the first signs seen by owners. Some dogs bleed into the lungs and have difficulty breathing.

How do we diagnose Ehrlichia?

If there is a suspicion of Ehrlichia in an ill dog, both a snap test and a complete blood count (CBC) are usually done. It is possible for the snap test to be negative in a dog infected with Ehrlichia, so your vet may want to send off further testing if the CBC shows results consistent with Ehrlichia.

How do we treat Ehrlichia?

The usual treatment of Ehrlichia is a high dose of doxycycline, an antibiotic. Repeated bloodwork will be done during the treatment to insure that the dog is responding appropriately to the medication. Ehrlichiosis can be fatal if left untreated, and unfortunately even dogs that are treated aggressively can still die of the disease.

The best prevention of tick bites is to use a topical tick-preventative, such as Frontline, if your dog will be in an area infested with ticks.