Why did my old dog collapse after tick bite, vomiting, labored breathing?

Oh my. It sounds like your pet may be suffering from a tick borne septic arthritis or something similar. Ticks can cause all sorts of internal problems for pets, including damaging the joints and causing low grade fevers and nausea. I would highly advise getting your pets seen by your local vet right away for much needed antibiotics and blood testing to confirm that tick borne disease is present. This will help let us know what other treatments they need to hopefully get better. I would take them in as soon as possible and also get them on a high quality flea/tick preventative such as Simparica, Firstshield, Nexgard or Bravecto. Best of luck with your pets. I hope that they get well soon. Take care.

Typically there is a local skin reaction "bulls-eye" reddened area that forms at the site of the bite and this can lead to overall illness, including fever, vomiting, diarrhea. Investigate the site where the tick bit and then I would recommend taking him to your local veterinarian for a full physical examination and proper medication to help stop the allergic reaction he may be having to the tick bite itself. I would also recommend placing a Seresto collar, Adaptil collar, or giving Nexgard tablets (flea and tick preventative) to prevent future tick bites.

I'm so sorry that happened! That is so scary and stressful. It may be a good idea to talk to your vet about having some chest X-rays taken. If her heart is enlarged, an echocardiogram (sonogram of the heart) would be indicated to see if she has heart disease. Other things we may find on chest Xray would be possible concern for cancer. Since Tally is 8, she is at an age where that has to be something on our list of concerns. Even without a heart murmur, she may have some heart dysfunction that lead to collapse. Additionally, though her ECG was normal, sometimes arrhythmias are not persistent, and a cardiologist may recommend telemetry (wearing an ECG for an extended period of time). Its even possible to have a significant arrhythmia abnormality without an enlarged heart on Xray, so if a cardiologist consult is in your budget, you might talk to your family vet about a recommendation. Please watch her closely at home. If she is vomiting or is not eating, if she seems very dumpy and lethargic, or if she is having a hard time breathing or is breathing very fast at rest, please have her seen today instead of waiting until Friday. I hope she is doing well today; thinking of you guys. My best to Tally!

It sounds like Ingmar could have a serious health issue related to heart disease, seizures, or toxin exposure. I strongly recommend you have him examined by a veterinarian right away as some of these issues can be life threatening. Your veterinarian can assess Ingmar for a heart murmur and take X-rays to determine if emergency heart medication is needed. If seizures are suspected, then medication may be needed to prevent them in the future. Blood work should also be done to ensure no organ issues are present. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Ingmar makes a full recovery!

Ticks can cause illness, but it is also possible that something else is wrong and the tick has nothing to do with it. I would encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. They may recommend an x-ray and / or blood work to help diagnose the problem. With intact females I am always concerned about a uterine infection called pyometra as well. It can cause lots of vague symptoms. I would recommend taking a fresh poop sample with you when you go to the veterinarian as well. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Respiratory signs like that can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Cooper evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor girl. Certainly tick borne disease can cause vomiting a couple weeks after exposure, but a month seems to be a bit prolonged. Also you would typically see other symptoms too such as limping, low grade fever and a decreased appetite. Other potential causes of vomiting are: stomach upset due to a change in diet, eating something she shouldn’t have, acid reflux disease, or even inflammatory bowel disease just to name a few. if he vomiting continues for more than a day or two, or if she has any more symptoms that you didn’t mention here, then this best to take her in for a complete examination to ensure she is ok. I hope that your fur baby gets well soon! Best wishes and take care.