CHENNAI: More dogs in the city are falling to a suspicious variant of canine tick fever in recent weeks. Veterinarians estimate that the average number of dogs coming in with tick fever like symptoms have doubled in the last month. In some cases, the dogs have even collapsed within a couple of days of showing symptoms.
Adittya S, a pet owner, posted on his Facebook page about a similar disease that struck his dog. “Our dog had tick fever and we gave him medical treatment. He was doing alright and was well for around two weeks but on a Sunday he started becoming dull, silent and kept to himself. We noticed his appetite was bad and he never looked at us, which was unusual for him,” he wrote adding that the dog died two days later.
Veterinarians add that the sudden rise in the number of cases is hard to decode. “Usual rise in tick infestation before monsoon is common, but more dogs no are developing fever transmitted by these parasites. The scenario was not half as bad as this before,” said Dr A Arvindan, a clinical veterinarian.
While there is an annual increase in incidence before monsoons, animal activists argued that the number of cases has been alarming this year. “Not only is the number of cases soaring, but the incidents of death because of this fever are really shocking,” said Shravan Krishnan, who runs ‘Hotels for Dogs’. He also observed that dogs and pups were less receptive to medication.
Speaking about his Labrador K Arun said that Bruno was extremely popular among street dogs. “My puppy Bruno started developing symptoms like fever, blood in stool and vomiting. He did not respond to the vet’s treatment either and died after a couple of weeks,” said K Arun, a pet owner in the city.
While tick fever is treatable, the number of deaths has been higher in recent days. “There’s nearly a 40% increase in cases of death among these dogs that have tick fever,” said Dr K Natchiyar, a veterinarian based out of the city.
He adds that both ticks and the virus have become less responsive to medication. “A single brand of tick medicine has altered its chemical formula over four times in recent years. The ticks are becoming more resistant to medicines,” he rues. “The likelihood of catching a virus from one increases with rise in number of parasites.”
Dr Natchiyar said that simply preventing pets from interacting with street dogs could only help to an extent, but careful observation of dog’s body for ticks and early treatment could help with more effective treatment.
For details, call Dr K Natchiyar: 9042045453, Dr A Arvindan: 9841077423
Precautions
Pets should be periodically checked for tick infestation even if they are not superficially visible. Ticks can latch on to paws or even be taken up while sniffing.
Ensure that paws are washed after walks. Treat pets as soon as ticks are found in the body and watch for symptoms of fatigue, blood in stool, loss of appetite and indigestion.
Different dogs may react differently to tick shampoos. Consult with a doctor and continue treatment until all ticks have disappeared. Tick collars, that repel them can be worn around the collar during walks.
Is tick infection bad for humans?
Canine ticks do not have the ability to bite through human skin and transmit the virus. “So far there has been no incident of a canine tick fever being contracted by a human here,” said a senior official from the Department of Animal Husbandry Monitoring. However, ticks can enter into the ears of humans, particularly children burring holes or causing lesions into the soft tissues in the head region. Consequences of such incidents can even be life threatening.