Why is my dog having seizures, covered in ticks, and acting sick?

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.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can't really see in your pictures clearly-I know it is very hard to get our pets to sit still sometimes. What you are describing sounds like Thelazia. As many as 100 worms can actually be present in the tear ducts, etc. it has been reported in humans as well so please be careful and wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. The condition is caused by hatches fly larva. You'll have to take her in to your vet for treatment-likely they will prescribe an antiparasiticide like ivermectin or moxidextin, and she may require antibacterial drops for the eyes as well. I hope this helps and Molly feels better soon!

I think it is more likely that the high temperature was due to the seizures. Their bodies shake so much that it is like they just ran a marathon. The seizures could certainly be brought on by tick disease, but could also be caused by liver or kidney issues, infection, epilepsy, etc. For these types of cases, I usually hospitalize on IV fluids, run a CBC and blood chemistry and urinalysis and tick tests, and monitor for additional seizure activity throughout the day.

Hello. There are just so many possibilities here that the best advice I can give would be to have her evaluated as soon as possible. A puppy should start a deworming program at 2 weeks of age. By 3 months she could have a massive number of intestinal parasites. Ticks can carry multiple diseases as well as cause anemia from blood loss, & I will just assume you have not started any vaccinations, yet. Puppies should be vaccinated starting at 7-8 weeks of age. To try & sort out what is making her so unwell, she needs a thorough evaluation soon. I hope you can do this for her & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Maxi! There are many reasons for a senior dog to become weak: kidney, liver problems, arthritis, neurological degeneration of the spine, cancer. Tick infestations, if severe can make any age dog weak by removing too much blood and causing anemia. Also ticks carry infectious diseases like Lyme, Ehrlichia, anaplasma and many others. I recommend, ideally, to have Maxi seen by a Vet and have blood work done and check her for the above 3 tick borne diseases. Then if healthy enough give her a flea and tick preventative. There are great drugs out now for fleas and ticks, like Nexgard, Simparica, Bravecto and the Seresto collar. I am so sorry that Maxi is sick and I wish her a speedy recovery! If you need anything else please contact us, we are here to help!

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.

It sounds like Tato may have an underlying illness causing him distress, especially if he is acting out of sorts, has had behavior changes, and also had a lot of tick bites in recent days that can cause illnesses such as lyme disease, tick fevers, and more. Since these symptoms have been ongoing for two days without improvement, it would be best to bring Tato into your vet ASAP for a full exam, bloodwork, neuro exams, and additional testing as needed.