Why won't my dog eat after a tick bite? What oral meds can help?

Hi there! If Arlo was bitten by a tick a while ago and is not doing well now, then Arlo may need to be tested for tick borne diseases and put on a month or two on antibiotics. If Arlo is not eating anything, then that is a bit concerning. I would ask your veterinarian to test for tick borne diseases Arlo may be infected with. In the mean time, you may try feeding small amounts of heated food to entice him but I would revisit with your veterinarian about testing and also antibiotics if he is positive for any tick borne diseases. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can rest him as much as possible. Just like a sick person needs rest, they do too. However, this is concerning and warrants letting your veterinarian know as he may for example benefit from adding pain control medications added to his treatment protocol. They should be able to recommend further based on their knowledge of the case. Have a good day!

There aren't home remedies that will help very much, other than good husbandry, good quality food, and a comfortable environment. Sometimes steroids are needed to suppress the immune system, they will also help with fever. The fever is just a sign that the immune system is working, so it is not always a good idea to make it go away. If she is uncomfortable, you can use a tepid bath to help with the feeling of being hot. You can discuss appetite stimulants with your vet. Or you can use bland human foods like boiled chicken breast, cooked white rice, scrambled eggs, toast, etc.

If she’s a normal weight then she may be only eating what she needs to maintain her weight. If she’s thin then I recommend giving a food with a higher calorie content so she’ll get more calories while eating the same amount. Many dogs aren’t that excited about food and as long as they are healthy this is nothing to be overly concerned about. I would stick with one good quality brand and offer her as much as she wants twice a day. Often taking medicine will decrease the appetite so she may pick up eating soon since she is done with the tick fever treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kylie.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Perhaps they could add a medication for pain control at this point. In that case, I would recommend something like Tramadol for example. That should help him. Best of luck!

I am sorry I do not know exactly what type of ticks are present in India. In the united states doxycycline is a common antibiotic for tick born disease. Patients can have exposure to tick born disease and not be sick. IF a patient is sick from tick born disease they usually have a fever and joint pain. I would recommend using a tick prevention that kills a tick with out having to bite the patient. Also, ask your vet if a vaccine is available. In the US for lyme disease we recommend the lyme vaccine with tick prevention. If you find a tick removing is a great options. I hope that helps

Hi and thanks for posting! If Bruno was diagnosed with a tick borne illness by his veterinarian, the fever he experienced may be due to this. If he was placed on any inflammatory medications, this would have helped his fever subside. There are many other medical causes of fever in dogs aside from tick borne diseases which should be explored and ruled out with Bruno's veterinarian. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!