My dog has piroplasmosis

[Maddie]

I've just got back from the vets.  My lovely chocolate girl was a bit lethargic, not quite as dominant with my other dog, did not eat her food quite so quickly and was a bit "panty" in the night - all minor things I could not quite put my finger on.  Thankfully, I did take notice and was sitting on the vets doorstep waiting for them to open this morning.  An examination and blood test later I was told she had "tick disease" and that it was not "catastrophic" (I pray to God it's not, anyway).  She had a raised temperature, anaemia and parasites in her blood.  She was given a huge injection and I was told she would continue to be lethargic today but should be recovered over the weekend (please, please I hope).  We have to go back on Monday for another injection.

I am completely paranoid about ticks (they are rife here), use Frontline every 4 weeks, pick off any ticks I find (attached or otherwise) and use the finest toothed comb to groom both dogs every time they come in.  It just goes to show, it can happen and I am now terrified she won't get better. You just can't be too careful.

If anyone reading this can keep all their bits crossed for us and "offer one up to the big man" if you are that way inclined, I'd be grateful.

Nicola and C*o*c*o (this forum considers my dog's name to be a swear word!!)

 

[Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas]

Your vet is right, if it's caught in time the disease is not a catastrophe and is cured 100% by injections; it's not unusual round here (24/87/19) and although it's unpleasant and a big worry for you she should be fine.

Thanks for the reminder of just how important it is for all of us to take notice of a dog being off colour, in most cases that I've come across that's all that people have noticed.

[Craig McGinty]

Dear Nicola and C*o*c*o

Hope everything is OK over the weekend and I must agree it is something that I'm very aware of for my own pooch.  She's called Holly and loves running through the woods and grass so is prone to ticks.

Below is an article I wrote about precautions etc. that can be taken to cut the risk of contracting ticks and other bugs etc.  I've posted it here so that others can use it in the future if they ever do a search of the messages.

All the best

Craig McGinty

*********************

IF you bring your dog to France either on holiday or permanently it is important that you prepare your pet as well as yourself.

According to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine precautions should be taken to cut the risk of your dog catching diseases more often associated with the tropics.

Since the introduction of the PETS travel scheme it has become much easier for people to take their dogs on holiday or to bring them when they re-locate to France.

However, there are diseases such as leishmaniasis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and heartworm that UK dogs will not have developed immunity to.

Dr Jackie Barber, of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said: "The risk of becoming infected depends on where, when and for how long the dogs (and cats) go.

"Most of the parasitic diseases we are concerned with are carried by sandflies, mosquitoes and ticks.

"So the risk of being bitten by flying insects will be higher in countries nearer the Mediterranean during summer evenings and the risk from ticks is greater in forests and on rough grazing land.

"Some of the diseases, such as babesiosis, can develop and kill within a couple of weeks whilst others may have long incubation periods of months or even years.

"So it is important that owners remember to let their vet know if their pet has ever travelled abroad, even a long time ago."

Many of these diseases have vague clinical signs such as tiredness, anaemia, enlarged lymph glands, bleeding and loss of weight, so diagnostic tests would be needed to confirm whether your pet has got one or more of these diseases.

Treatment can be complicated as few of the drugs needed are available in the UK and most have to be imported under special licence.

But Dr Barber says that pet owners should not be too worried and that simple precautions should be taken.

"Considering the number of animals which have entered the UK since the PETS scheme started, (over 120,000 dogs and cats between February 2000 and September 2003) only a very small proportion have developed these ’exotic’ infections," said Dr Barber.

"To reduce the risks examine your pet daily for ticks, especially around the head and feet, and remove any found.

"Do not let your pet sleep outside at night unless screened by mosquito netting and visit your vet to get heartworm preventative drugs and tick and sandfly repellents."

Written May 17, 2004 for www.thisfrenchlife.com

[Judyc]

Don't panic.  If your vet is telling you it will be ok, then I am sure it will be.

My four year old retriever last week had tick fever for the second time (despite use of Frontline) and the vet has said he is obviously very susceptible to it.  At least this time he is apparently cured after the first injection as the vet did a second blood test five days after the first and there were no longer any parasites.  Last time it took two injections, numerous tablets and then a dose of Larium.  My vet assures me that this is exceptionally rare and he sees perhaps one dog a year that responds (or doesn't)in this way.

Symptoms were twitching ears, off food and didn't want to play with other dog.  If I had remembered from the first time, I would have checked his gums as they are very pale with tick fever.

Don't worry.  I'm sure yours will be fine.  By being vigilant to change in your dogs habits, you have done him a big favour!

Judy      Lot-et-Garonne

www.faysselle.com

[Judyc]

Don't panic.  If your vet is telling you it will be ok, then I am sure it will be.

My four year old retriever last week had tick fever for the second time (despite use of Frontline) and the vet has said he is obviously very susceptible to it.  At least this time he is apparently cured after the first injection as the vet did a second blood test five days after the first and there were no longer any parasites.  Last time it took two injections, numerous tablets and then a dose of Larium.  My vet assures me that this is exceptionally rare and he sees perhaps one dog a year that responds (or doesn't)in this way.

Symptoms were twitching ears, off food and didn't want to play with other dog.  If I had remembered from the first time, I would have checked his gums as they are very pale with tick fever.

Don't worry.  I'm sure yours will be fine.  By being vigilant to change in your dogs habits, you have done him a big favour!

Judy      Lot-et-Garonne

www.faysselle.com

[Maddie]

Thanks everyone.  She does seem perkier already although just after we got home she had a bit of a funny "turn".  She is drinking tons of water and peeing loads (and I have managed to collect a bit and it is still nice, light and clear).  She's been sleeping a lot, is no longer panting and is even lying down in front of the Rayburn in the warm (wish I could!).

Judy, I checked her gums and I remembered reading your previous post, but they were still nice and pink, thankfully.  It was the panting (laboured breathing more than panting really), not gobbling her food like a typical labrador and not pushing my other dog away from me when I was petting her that really alerted me to the fact that there was something wrong.

I knew that there could be tick-bourne diseases here in the Haute Garonne and my vet in the UK advised me on the necessary precautions to take.  However, I've seen ticks before but never in the quantity we've got here (rough grazing land).  Thankfully, I had previously had a long chat with my French vet about it too and he gave me a leaflet when I was considering vaccination several months ago so I knew it was rife here.

Thanks for posting your article, Craig, it doesn't hurt at all to make people aware of the different diseases there are here in France.

Will keep you posted.

Nicola and C*o*c*o

[PaysBasque]

What a good job that we discussed the didease on this forum not so long ago! It made you look up as soon as there was something out of the ordinary. Well done catching it that quickly. Your dog should be absolutely fine as it seems that you caught it in time. I've had a horse with the same problem earlier this year and he recovered really well.

Good luck,

[I1]

Glad to hear things are moving towards a recovery and wish you all well through the continued recovery process.

I have been concerned about this (and other diseases) and have found it difficult to always establish exactly what the risks are and what precautions are appropriate. You have thus prompted me to start a new thread about Dog Disease Risks, hopefully with other contributions it might make us more aware about the different risks in the different areas of France (and may alter others to the fact that there are these risks). I checked in the UK with my vet before moving and was told that there were no additional risks to those in the UK. I happened to find out about Piroplasmose and Lyme by chance whilst visiting my French vet. I’m sure there must be others who are not fully aware of the risks in the different areas of France.

[Maddie]

[quote]Glad to hear things are moving towards a recovery and wish you all well through the continued recovery process.I have been concerned about this (and other diseases) and have found it difficult to alwa...[/quote]

Good idea.  However, the problem with many of these diseases is that you may know what they are called but unless you know your animals very well it is difficult to spot the symptoms until it is too late.  I knew about Piro, Heartworm and Lyme, my vet in the UK told me about them (but then he was Dutch) so was prepared, preventative medicine wise.  You know from previous postings that I'm fastidious about checking for ticks by grooming and use Frontline every 4 weeks.  She still managed to get the disease.  The symptoms for piro are very vague in the early stages - just something you can't quite put your finger on.  However, I know I live in an area where piro is rife so took no chances and was clawing at the vets door immediately. 

I have since spoken to some French friends at my dog training club and many of their dogs have had it and survived with no side effects.  Also, the vaccine is not 100% so many don't bother with it. They said only people with hunting dogs tend to bother with it. 

The secret, I'm sure, is spotting the symptoms, vague though they may be, and getting treatment asap then generally things turn out alright (I jolly well hope so, anyway!).  We're back to the vets on Monday for a check up and another treatment.  Then I hope she'll be in the clear.