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This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
Spring has sprung which means we’re going to be spending a lot more time outside with our dogs. While spring brings sunshine and beautiful weather, it also poses hazards for our pets. One of the biggest concerns for pet parents when spring rolls around is ticks. Because our dogs are lower to the ground and spend so much time in the grass, ticks are a huge threat during the warmer months. Today, I’m sharing everything you need to know about tick borne diseases from symptoms to preventives.
What is Tick Disease?
There are 4 main types of tick disease that dogs are most commonly affected by: lyme, ehrlichia, anaplasmosis, and rocky mountain fever. These diseases are spread when infected ticks bite and latch onto a dog. The disease is then released into the dogs bloodstream and symptoms persist from there.
Most of the time, tick disease is not fatal and symptoms can be treated with antibiotics. However, once a dog is infected, the disease never completely leaves their system and symptoms can come and go throughout their lifetime.
Who is at Risk?
Both animals and people can suffer from tick disease. The risk of certain diseases differs based on the region, but ticks are in almost every part of the United States. They tend to remain dormant throughout the winter but come out when the weather gets warm and hang around all the way through the fall.
Certain areas of the country may experience one tick disease more than another. Which diseases the ticks carry depend largely on climate, plant type, and what animals are around.
If your dog is frequently in wooded areas, hiking, or camping-they are naturally going to run into more ticks than a dog who doesn’t leave their backyard. However, all dogs go outside at some point, putting them all at risk for tick infestations and diseases.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is the most commonly known tick disease. It’s carried by the Black-Legged tick, also known as a deer tick, and is prevalent in the Northeast and Midwest of the US. However, cases have also been noted on the West Coast and in Florida.
Ticks carrying lyme disease must be attached to their host for 36-48 hours in order for infection to occur and symptoms typically don’t show up for 2-5 months afterwards. The most important way to protect your dog from lyme disease is to do thorough body checks every single time they come inside during the warmer months.
There is a lyme disease vaccine to protect your dog from this disease, however, it’s not necessary or effective for every pet. If you live in an area where lyme is very prevalent and your dog is outside frequently the vaccine may be a good choice but if your dog doesn’t spend a lot of time outdoors it’s probably not necessary. Talk to your vet about whether or not this vaccine is right for your dog.
You should have an annual blood test done on your dog that checks for an infection of lyme disease. Many cases of lyme are caught well before symptoms show up due to yearly blood testing. Symptoms of lyme disease to watch out for include:
Fever
Lameness
Limping
Joint Pain
Lethargy
If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, take them in for testing immediately.
If your dog tests positive for lyme disease before symptoms are present, you and your vet may opt not to treat them. Dogs can be healthy and happy, even after testing positive for lyme. However, if symptoms are present, your dog will be placed on antibiotics for 28 days.
Because tick disease doesn’t ever truly leave a dogs system once infected, it’s likely that they’ll test positive for it every year after the initial diagnosis. They most likely won’t experience constant symptoms, and you’ll only have to treat it sporadically throughout their life when symptoms start to flare up.
Ehrlichia
Ehrlichia, also known as Ehrlichiosis, is carried by many different types of ticks and is found worldwide. Ehrlichia is a more dangerous tick disease than lyme and includes symptoms such as:
Fever
Low appetite
Low blood platelets
Blood platelets are the cells that help your blood clot. Bloody noses, anemia, and bruising are all signs of low platelets. If your dog tests positive for ehrlichia, your vet will likely suggest a complete blood count to check platelet count.
Symptoms of ehrlichia typically begin to show 1-3 weeks after infection and dogs who are treated promptly have a good prognosis. Ehrlichia is treated with the same antibiotic as lyme disease, doxycycline.
Most dogs that are infected with ehrlichia will only experience symptoms for a couple of weeks before the disease goes into a dormant stage, at which point the dog will go on to live a healthy life. However, ehrlichia doesn’t ever truly leave the system so symptoms may pop up at random as the dog ages.
In severe cases, more extreme treatment may be necessary.
Anaplasmosis
Anaplasmosis is spread through black legged ticks and found worldwide. The symptoms are largely similar to those of lyme disease and many dogs won’t experience symptoms at all. If your dog tests positive for anaplasmois, they’ll be treated with an antibiotic for 2-4 weeks.
Anaplasmosis can also cause low platelets, so a complete blood count test may be ran to determine the severity of infection.
Rocky Mountain Fever
Rocky Mountain fever is found all over the United States and is carried by the American Dog tick, Rocky Mountain Wood tick, and Brown Deer tick. The symptoms are the same as the previously discussed tick diseases:
Lethargy
Lack of appetite
Joint pain
Low platelets
One major difference that Rocky Mountain fever has compared to the other tick diseases is neurological signs such as wobbliness.
Lyme disease, ehrlichia, and anaplasmosis can be tested in house at most vet clinics by a snap test known as a 4dx, which also tests for heartworm. Rocky Mountain fever, however, has to be tested for at an outside laboratory. Treatment with doxycycline for 1-3 weeks is standard and most dogs make a full recovery.
How to Prevent Tick Disease
The most full proof way to prevent your dog from becoming infected with tick disease is by checking them thoroughly for ticks every time they come indoors, and removing all ticks promptly. Because most tick diseases cause the tick to be latched to the host for several hours, or even days, removing a tick as quickly as possible is the best way to keep your pup safe from tick-borne disease.
There are also a variety of flea and tick preventatives on the market that your veterinarian can prescribe to your pet. The most common is monthly oral preventatives.
Oral preventative
Oral preventatives are often found to be the most effective at keeping ticks off your dog and are therefore most commonly recommended by vets. The important thing to note about oral preventatives is that they are a potent neurotoxin. Oral preventatives contain isoxazolines, which is a chemical that is absorbed into your dogs bloodstream and will kill a tick when they bite your dog. The FDA has warned pet parents that medications containing isoxazolines can cause neurological damage to your dog such as tremors and seizures.
These preventatives are effective in killing ticks but they do pose a major risk to your dog. While many dogs will be fine on an oral flea and tick preventative, other dogs may not be so lucky, and you won’t know how your dog will react until it’s too late.
Talk to your vet about whether or not the risk of oral tick preventatives are worth the reward for your pet. In areas where ticks are highly prevalent, this may be the best option regardless of the risks.
The most popular oral treatments are Nexguard and Bravecto. Both of these require a prescription from your vet.
Topical preventatives
Another popular flea and tick preventative are topical ointments that you apply between your dogs shoulder blades once a month. These topical treatments release a chemical into your dogs bloodstream by absorbing it through their skin. These treatments are generally safer than oral preventatives.
The major downside to topical preventatives is that your dog could lick it off. They can also rub off onto your furniture or clothing. Some dogs may experience negative reactions to these treatments such as hair loss or skin irritation.
Topical flea and tick preventatives can be bought over the counter and some of the most popular ones include Frontline and Advantix.
Collars and Tags
There are multiple different collars and tags on the market that prevent the infestation of fleas and ticks.
Seresto collars are a popular choice because they’re a one time application and last for several months. The collar is worn around your dogs neck and full of chemicals that are periodically released into your dogs skin and absorbed into the bloodstream. From that point it works similarly to a topical preventative.
A holistic flea and tick prevention option is a flea and tick tag. I personally use the flea and tick tag by Only Natural Pet, which claims to use scalar waves to prevent fleas and ticks. The tag contains zero chemicals so it’s an incredibly safe choice for your pet, and it lasts for a full year, making it very cost effective.
While I don’t fully understand the physics behind the tag, I have been using it on my dog for almost a full year and I’ve only found one tick on her during that time.
Essential Oil Sprays
Another option if you’re concerned about chemicals is an essential oil spray. These oils can be combined into a spray and applied to your dogs fur when they’re going outside to prevent fleas and ticks. Some essential oils used to prevent ticks include:
Cedarwood
Grapefruit
Lavender
Lemon
Roseweood
Cedar
Rosemary
An essential oil spray, combined with the use of a flea and tick tag is the safest way to prevent ticks on your dog.
Note: essential oils will not be as effective at preventing ticks as a chemical preventative. If you live in a tick infested area, talk with your vet about the safest and most effective way to prevent tick disease in your dog.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, yearly blood tests and flea and tick preventative are important in keeping your dog protected from tick disease. Watch for symptoms of these diseases for prompt treatment and always talk to your veterinarian about the best route for your dog based off of location and lifestyle.
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As a dog mom, I’m very conscious of what I feed my pup. My Siberian Husky, Luna, is on a vet approved homemade diet and only gets treats that are ethically sourced and made with clean ingredients. That is why I was so excited when I was introduced to Erica’s Healthy Pet homemade dog treats. This small, woman owned business creates healthy, simple treats that you can feel good about feeding to your furry friend. Today, I’m reviewing healthy dog treats made by Erica’s Healthy Pet!
Erica was so gracious to send me and Luna these treats to review. All opinions are our own.
What is Erica’s Healthy Pet?
Erica started her pet treat company after dealing with health issues in her family. When she noticed the benefits that came from a healthier diet and reducing chemicals in her environment, she decided to do the same for her dogs. By providing them with healthier foods and treats her dogs quickly showed improvement in their weight, activity levels, and overall health.
“Hi, I’m Erica! Years ago when health issues were ravaging my family my brother and I discovered the immense benefits of a healthier diet and reducing chemicals in our environment. By making small changes in our daily life we made great progress in our health. As we were on this journey we lost our Mom and took over the care of her two dogs who were grieving her loss greatly. One look at the ingredients in their food, treats and products and we knew we had to make some changes in the dog’s lives as well. After immense research, we changed the dog’s diet, started making their treats and stopped dousing them with chemical filled shampoos, flea meds, etc. The difference was AMAZING. My sad, grieving, lazy and a touch overweight dogs responded immediately. Their energy level increased, they lost some excess weight and they were more happy and peppy then I had ever seen them. After seeing the incredible difference small changes made for my dogs, I knew my new mission was to help others do the same for their fur babies. We are not a pet boutique. We are Texas pet parents spreading the word that healthy, simple treats and products are accessible, affordable and incredibly beneficial. We love helping your fur babies live happier and healthier lives.”
Erica’s Healthy Pet provides not only simple ingredient, healthy dog and cat treats but other products as well such as dog shampoo, flea and tick spray, and skin smoother. Every product she creates is made with limited ingredients so that you know exactly what you are giving to your pet.
My Review of Erica’s Healthy Pet
Erica sent me and Luna two of her popular treats to try out: the cheesy bites and the turkey jerky. Upon first glance I was very impressed with the packaging of the treats! Both treats were packaged in resealable bags to keep them fresh and had their ingredients listed right on the front.
Cheesy Bites
The cheesy bites are crunchy cheese treats made with rice flour, cheddar cheese, chicken stock, eggs, olive oil, and oregano. Every ingredient that goes into these treats is recognizable and can probably even be found in your own kitchen!
Luna loves anything cheesy so I knew she’d be obsessed with these treats and they did not disappoint! She would’ve eaten the whole bag in one sitting had I let her.
Turkey Jerky
The turkey jerky are quite literally just sticks of dehydrated turkey. The only ingredient is natural, hormone free ground turkey. There are no preservatives or chemicals that pose the risk of illness to your pet. Luna loved the turkey jerky as well and continuously begged for more!
All of the treats come with clearly labeled nutrition facts on the back. The full guaranteed analysis and calorie content is pasted on each bag along with full ingredient lists so you know exactly what is going into your dog.
I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the treats and Luna was definitely a fan of the taste!
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For most people, it’s safe to say that our dogs are considered part of our family which means that celebrating their birthday is a must! If you’re looking for the perfect way to celebrate your dogs birthday or gotcha day this year, you’re in the right place. From birthday parties to special treats, today, I’m sharing 6 ways to celebrate your dogs birthday or gotcha day!
Throw a Birthday Party!
No birthday is complete without a birthday party! To celebrate your pup this year, throw them a birthday party with all of their doggy bff’s. I already have a post with all of my tips for throwing the perfect doggy birthday bash that you can check out here.
Dog parks and beaches make great locations for a birthday party, but you could even throw a party at your house! Don’t forget the games and cake!
Note: Be sure that all the pups on the invite list are dog friendly to keep everyone safe and having fun!
Get them a Pupcuterie Board!
Charcuterie boards became all the rave during the 2020 pandemic and have remained a huge hit for parties, gatherings, and nights at home! Who doesn’t love a board full of meat, cheese, crackers, and more?? But did you know you can get your dog a charcuterie board of their own?
Pupcuterie Boards is a small, woman owned business that creates charcuterie boards made specifically for dogs! The “board” is a lick mat which I love because it can be reused over and over again. She tops the board with dog friendly peanut butter and a large variety of canine treats!
I love that the majority of the treats used are on the healthier side. The board she sent to Luna included treats such as turkey and blueberry hearts, dehydrated carrot, and freeze dried chicken heart! The use of healthy treats makes it a guilt free treat to give your pup. She can also customize every board for any diet restrictions or preferences!
You can check out Pupcuterie Boards on her website, or follow her Instagram @pupcuterieATX. Her boards can be shipped or delivered if you’re local!
Paige was so gracious to send me and Luna a board to review!
Take them Shopping!
What’s a birthday without a shopping spree? A great way to celebrate your dogs birthday or gotcha day this year is to take them to their favorite pet store and allow them to pick out a present of their own!
Bake a Cake!
Every birthday needs a birthday cake! Luckily, making a dog friendly cake can be super simple. A few of my favorite recipes include:
If you have an active dog breed, going on an adventure is a great way to celebrate their special day! Find a local park or natural trail to go on a long walk and allow them to smell and explore their surroundings.
Other great adventure ideas include dog friendly stores, a dog beach, or even a road trip! If your pup enjoys swimming, finding a swimming pool, pond, or lake would be a great adventure for them as well!
Have a Movie Night!
On the opposite spectrum, if your pup would rather spend time cuddled on the couch than out exploring, plan a movie night! Choose a dog themed movie and cuddle on the couch with your pup. Be sure to bring in plenty of blankets to make things extra cozy.
And of course, no movie night is complete without the snacks! Popcorn is a safe snack for your dog as long as you limit the amount of butter and salt.
When is your dogs birthday or gotcha day and how do you plan to celebrate?
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