My dog has ticks stuck on his skin and is lazy. What should I do?

There are several tick-borne diseases that could cause lethargy. These include lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiciosis and anaplasmosis. If your dog is lethargic, a visit to your vet is recommended. They can perform a good physical exam and may recommend bloodwork including testing for these tick-borne diseases. It is possible the lethargy could be related to the tick, but there are also many other possible causes for lethargy. An exam and bloodwork will help us narrow down the possible causes.

Hello! Those lesions could be caused by an infection like bacteria or even fungus as well as allergies. Usually though mild infections and allergies don't cause dogs to be depressed/act abnormally. If his behavior continues, he has any vomiting, or his food/water intake goes down further I recommend having your veterinarian do an exam as those changes could be caused by something more serious, like liver issues, anemia, an infection or even cancer.

I would take Cyfer into the vet immediately, as it sounds like he is suffering from a tick borne illness. He needs medical attention right away, and the vet can use blood tests to diagnose if he's suffering from a tick borne illness and treat him accordingly.

Hi there. Monitor Hogan for any signs of illness over the next month. Generally, tick-borne diseases cause non-specific signs such as fever, decreased appetite, swollen lymph nodes, and lethargy within the first 4 weeks after a tick bite. Dogs can get a skin infection or irritation from a tick bite - it is hard to tell exactly what they look like without a photo - but if you are concerned have your veterinarian take a look. And if you notice that he is not feeling well, take him to a vet right away. In the future definitely plan to use a veterinarian-approved tick product and check Hogan for ticks every time he comes inside.

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.

Depending on when you found the ticks on Harley would be important in determining whether or not the clinical signs you are seeing have anything to do with one another. Many of the most common tick borne diseases in the area of the country in which you live have very long incubation periods. In other words, from the time the infection was spread, it might take weeks to months for Harley to actually experience the symptoms which you are reporting. Anaplasma, a tickborne illness, can begin to show clinical signs within days of the bite. The other two most common ones in the northeast (lyme and ehrlichia) how much longer incubation periods. Regardless, if Harley has not been acting right at such a young age and refusing to move at a normal rate I would still be concerned that something could be wrong. I would not necessarily rush off to the vet tonight, but would consider making an appointment for some time soon. In the mean time, consider taking her temperature to see if it is elevated above normal. Anything about 102.5-103.0 would be concerning for a dog sitting comfortably at home.

He needs a tick preventative such as Bravecto, Nexgard, or even Advantix over the counter can kill ticks quickly and prevent them for 30 days. Please get him on a tick preventative soon and visit your vet soon if you notice any symptoms of tick bite disease (i.e. anorexia, lethargy, fever or lameness). You should also avoid areas that he could be exposed to with high tick populations. Keep him out of the woods and consider getting your yard treated for. I hope that your pet Max gets rid of his ticks soon! Best wishes and take care.