Hi Agnie,
How's yr doggie now? Hope it's ok. I did a search on the internet & found this. All dog owners might want to take note too.
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Tick fever is caused by an organism called Ehrlichia Canis, which is a bacteria-like organism that is carried by the brown dog tick. When dog is bitten by a tick, the tick releases the organism into the bloodstream and it infects circulating blood cells.
There are three phases of tick fever: acute, subclinical, and chronic. These different phases of infection can have different symptoms. But the main symptoms generally present in all forms are anemia and low platelet numbers (which can cause a greater tendency to bleed).
Common signs that owners can look for include: depression, inability to walk, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, pale gums, small areas of bruising on the skin, and weight loss. Sometimes the dog just appears to be "not doing right."
Diagnosis of tick fever involves a simple blood test called a titer which tests whether or not a dog has antibodies to Ehrlichia. A dog may test positive, even if an owner has never seen a tick on the dog.
Treatment of tick fever always involves tetracycline or doxycycline. Other treatment depends on how sick the dog is, and may include a stay in the hospital on IV fluids. Improvement of symptoms is often rapid when the dog is treated, however it may take a long time for a positive titer to turn negative.