Because I had forgotten to give her the heartworm preventive for the last three months the doctor had to run a heartworm test.
The test came out negative for heartworm disease however it tested positive for anaplasmosis a tick-borne disease I had never heard of before but that according to what I researched is one of the most common dog infectious disease in the US.
The symptoms for this potentially life threatening disease include loss of appetite, runny nose or eyes, depression and can lead to blindness, autoimmune diseases, bleeding complications, or death.
What struck me the most is that my dog was not showing any symptoms and has never had major problems with ticks. Yes, I have found ticks on her but never more than three-to-four at any given time.
The main reason I write about this disease is for you to be aware that a silent killer is out there and even tough there is no vaccine to prevent this disease an annual test can determine if your dog has it, so treatment can be initiated.
HappyBigDog.com
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ReplyDeleteThe problem with anaplasmosis in dogs is that it often presents itself, at first, as a relatively mild condition. On my case I really don’t take second chances with my dog and I take him to the vet on the sight of behavioural or physical changes. I learned a lot about anaplasmosis in this article and you should really check it out too: http://dogsaholic.com/care/anaplasmosis-in-dogs.html
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