Ticks transmit many diseases that are dangerous to humans and animals. These pests, despite their small size, can cause a lot of harm to pets and at the same time cause many problems to their owners. So let's find out as much as possible about the risk of a tick-borne disease called babesiosis. What is Babesiosis?
Babesiosis is an infectious parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Babesia canis. This protozoan is transmitted by true ticks, mainly meadow ticks. Another, lesser-known name for babesiosis is piroplasmosis. It affects animals and often leads to exhaustion of the body and sometimes even death of the quadruped. It is characterized by high fever and hemolytic anemia, i.e. anemia. It can be asymptomatic or have a fulminant course, ending in death.
Canine babesiosis occurs all over the world and has been known in Europe for almost 100 years. The first case in Poland was recorded and described in 1966. Babesiosis transmitting ticks occur in various areas of Poland, especially in forests, parks, gardens and meadows, especially if they are covered with tall grass. These arachnids also settled in the city and are found on lawns or in home gardens.
Considering that winters are more and more mild, the risk of contracting this disease is practically all year round. Temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius mean that ticks can be dangerous at any time of the year. No less intense period of their activity is recorded in the periods: May-June and September-October. Therefore, in these months, we should be particularly careful when choosing walking routes with our pet. During this time, we should also take care of the proper protection of the person under our care, we must carefully observe his behavior and conduct a thorough inspection of the hair after each walk.
Typically, quadrupeds tend to be an easier target to bite than humans. Often, after returning from a walk, we feel the characteristic thickening of the skin, which indicates the presence of a tick. It is worth equipping the home first aid kit with a "tick trap" or a peseta in order to remove the parasite as quickly as possible.
A tick sucked on an animal introduces into its bloodstream (during the bite) protozoa babesiosis, which attack erythrocytes. Protozoa multiply rapidly in the affected cell and the red blood cell is ruptured. Then the parasite attacks successive erythrocytes in an avalanche, destroying a significant part of them. This leads to anemia and damage to the animal's internal organs, such as the kidneys and liver. The circulatory system is attacked next. Detected too late, babesiosis can lead to the dog's death.
Babesiosis can be diagnosed most quickly in our dog due to its unusual lethargy and apathy, lack of energy and willingness to play. In addition, a characteristic symptom of this disease is high fever, which can reach up to 40 - 41 degrees Celsius. These two symptoms are characteristic of babesiosis and always appear in infected tetrapods. Apart from them, there are often other indications that may be typical for this disease, e.g. dark orange or even red urine (indicating an admixture of blood), as well as diarrhea and lack of appetite.
Since babesiosis is a dangerous disease and can even result in the death of your pet, appropriate prophylaxis against tick bites should be applied. Protection should be remembered throughout the year, especially in spring and autumn, i.e. in the period when these parasites are extremely dangerous. Currently, the market offers many preparations in the form of tablets, drops and specially prepared collars. However, it is worth remembering that the essence of effective prophylaxis is to provide our pooch with constant veterinary care. Your veterinarian will help you choose the right product for your dog and will recommend the correct dosage. It is important to adhere to the dates of administration of subsequent doses of the preparation or replacement of the anti-tick collar, because this product loses its protective properties after the specified date. For example: collars protect against ticks for max. 8 months and better for dogs with short hair. The drops should be applied monthly, the tablets - twice a year, and the spray should be applied to the dog's hair before each walk.
Diet is a supplement to the above-mentioned methods. You can give your dog prophylactic herbs that repel ticks, such as purges. You should also provide your pet with the right amount of B vitamins every day.
Babesiosis, like other tick-borne diseases, requires a quick response from the dog handler and a correct diagnosis. We cannot ignore the change in our pet's behavior and any disease symptoms. Only when the disease is detected early, is babesiosis curable. Your veterinarian will usually take your dog's blood for examination and prescribe an antibiotic and other medications based on the results. The treatment usually takes several days to eliminate the protozoan from the animal's blood cells. Symptomatic treatment is also often used, including administration of nutritional and vitamin fluids, as well as painkillers and anti-inflammatory (non-steroidal) drugs.
Following the warnings of veterinarians, it should be remembered that babesiosis carrier ticks attack not only in the forest. They are also dangerous in city parks, gardens or squares. The risk of infection with babesiosis is getting bigger every year. So let's protect our pets!
The command "give a floor" is usually one of the first commands we use when teaching our dog tricks. In fact, the questions immediately arise: for what purpose? It is hard to imagine a situation in which this command could be useful. However, if we take into account that each of our interaction with the pet allows us to establish a stronger relationship with him, the seemingly useless trick gains measurable value. So how to teach a dog to give a voice?
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