1. Causes:
- Canine Ehrlichiosis is a vector-borne disease that is distributed worldwide.
- Ehrlichia Canis bacteria are transmitted to the dog through the saliva of the brown tick.
- Co-infections between Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis have been reported as Anaplasma bacteria can also cause ehrlichiosis. hard-shelled Ixodes ticks transmit the bacteria through the saliva.
- The incubation period is about 1 to 3 weeks with a median of 9 days.
- Acute ehrlichiosis symptoms can resemble Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).
2. Types:
Acute infection: This begins 1 to 3 weeks after the infected tick bite. The most common symptoms of acute infection are fever, lethargy, anorexia, moderate-to-severe thrombocytopenia, generalized lymphadenopathy, oculonasal discharge, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly.
The sub-clinical stage: This has no obvious symptoms even though the infection is still present. The dog’s immune system may be able to eliminate the disease during this stage.
The chronic stage: The acute stage is followed by the chronic stage and this is the most serious stage of the infection. During this stage, the canine may suffer from non-regenerative anemia and have low white-blood-cell counts. The affected dogs may experience Hemorrhagic diathesis, hemorrhagic nasal bleeding, and kidney disease. The bacteria may also spread into the organ tissues, especially those of the lung, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, and liver.
3. Mortality:
When the infection occurs only in the blood or if it is identified in the starting stage, it is usually cured with standard treatments. Disseminated and chronic Ehrlichiosis can be really fatal.
4. Diagnosis:
- Complete blood count test (CBC)
- ELISA test
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test
5. Prognosis:
The prognosis for Ehrlichiosis is really good. Most dogs undergoing treatment will recover within a few weeks. The chances of recovery of Dogs that have chronic Ehrlichiosis is guarded due to the damage to the vital organs. If left untreated, severe cases of Ehrlichiosis can be fatal for dogs, so head to your vet immediately.