Diseases, Symptoms & Diagnosis

Here is your cheat sheet for recognizing the symptoms of tick-borne disease in horses and dogs.

Lyme Disease

It can take up to six weeks for Lyme disease symptoms to present themselves. It takes between 36-48 hours for the disease to be transmitted once a tick had attached to its host. There are multiple ways to test for Lyme disease, including tests to see if a tick you find on your animal is infected, as well as tests to see if your animal has been infected. Not all animals will contract Lyme even if the tick found on them was positive for it. It’s a complicated disease. For more information, see an in-depth article from our friends at TheHorse.com here.

• Joint stiffness
• Shifting lameness (lameness travels from limb to limb)
• Low-grade fever
• Weight loss/loss of appetite
• Swollen/warm joints
• Lethargy
• Sensitivity to touch
• Stiff, arched-back walk (dogs)
• Uveitis (horses)

Anaplasmosis (Formerly Ehrlichiosis in horses)

Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis present similar symptoms, but are different pathogens and are transmitted by different ticks. Symptoms of Anaplasmosis present themselves in the Acute Stage within one to three weeks of infection. This disease is not always treated in horses, but once diagnosed should be monitored closely as symptoms can worsen and become more severe. Dogs are typically treated for both Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis with antibiotics. For more information, see an in-depth article from our friends at TheHorse.com here.

• High fever
• Edema/swelling
• Weight loss/loss of appetite
• Inability to walk regularly (ataxia)
• Weakness
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Difficult respiration

Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Dogs will show symptoms within five days of becoming infected. This disease is not considered a problem for horses, but is common in dogs. Purebreds and notably German Shepherds are known to have severe reactions.

• Depression
• Lethargy
• Weight loss/loss of appetite
• Blood in urine
• Irregular heart beat (arrhythmia)
• Discolored skin
• Inability to walk regularly (ataxia)
• Edema/swelling
• Sudden bleeding from nose, or bloody stool
• Difficulty with blood clotting
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Pain in the eyes
• Inflammation, hemorrhage, or conjunctivitis in the mucosal membranes, most commonly in the eyes

Here are some of the most common tick species, where they live, and the tick-borne diseases they may carry

These are one of the larger species of ticks and they are found in almost every area of the United States. They can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a dangerous disease for dogs and humans which is not identified as a threat to horses. However, this species is also identified as a carrier for the rarer babesiosis in horses.

Horse Diseases: Babesiosis (A.K.A. Equine Piroplasmosis is rare and not considered endemic to the U.S.)

Dog Diseases: Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys

 

Black Legged Tick AKA the Deer Tick Ixodes scapularis

Ixodes pacificus (West Coast) not shown here but similar in appearance, also carries Lyme Disease and lives in the Western coastal regions and parts of Utah and Arizona.

These are the little buggers spreading Lyme disease to horses, humans and dogs. They are found mostly in the East, South East, Gulf States and Lakes region. However, scientists tracking them say they are steadily spreading across the country.

Horse Diseases: Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis (Formerly Ehrlichiosis) & Babesiosis (A.K.A. Equine Piroplasmosis is rare and not considered endemic to the U.S.)

Dog Diseases: Lyme Disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum

American Dog Ticks are not typically a threat to horses, but can be for dogs. These ticks are similar to Gulf Coast ticks in appearance.

Horse Diseases: Babesiosis (A.K.A. Equine Piroplasmosis is rare and not considered endemic to the U.S.)

Dog Diseases: Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Lone Star Ticks are a little easier to identify females in their adult stages because of the small white dot on their backs. These ticks are known for their ability to jump and move quickly, which makes them a formidable foe.

Horse Diseases: Anaplasmosis

Dog Diseases: Ehrlichia ewingii and Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever

You’ll want to do everything you can to keep ticks off you, your dogs and your horses. In addition to our UltraShield^® tick protection products, add these tips to your plan for a tick-free season!

• Remove their environment. Ticks like the transition areas and bushes on the edges of fields. Trim back bushes at the edges of lawns and fields where your animals hang out. Ticks will also hide on low plants at the edges of trails. Once they know animals will be passing by regularly, they will come back to these areas. Try to stick to the center of trails. Young ticks (nymphs) like dark, moist areas like leaf piles so try to remove those too. Then take a shower.
• Keep grass short where applicable. Buy a lint roller, the kind with white sticky paper pads. Use it to roll over legs, faces, tail areas and bodies after being in tick areas (see above). You’ll be able to see any ticks stuck to the pad!
• Consider treating the edges of your property with a pyrethrin-based premise spray to add a barrier between ticks and your animals and family. There are services that will come and apply them for you.
• Inspect your animals by hand, feeling for attached ticks. They’ll love the attention and you’ll gain piece of mind. Ticks can attach in hard to reach areas like ears, armpits, rear-ends etc. where a lint roller may not reach well.
• Remove food sources for deer which harbor ticks.

We hope you “enjoyed” our round-up of tick-based information. It’s not a fun topic, but with an integrated approach, some help from UltraShield^® and your diligence, you’ll avoid ticks and tick-borne disease in horses and dogs this season!