Why is my dog tired, sore, and shivering after tick exposure?

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.

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.

Poor Tussie! It definitely sounds like something is wrong. She may have a tick-borne disease of some kind (even if she tested negative for Lyme disease, there are many other possibilities), a systemic illness like liver or kidney disease, or a neurologic disorder of some kind. It sounds like she's been to the vet somewhat recently for heartworm and Lyme disease testing, but I would recommend taking her back for a recheck since it sounds like she still isn't doing well. She needs a complete neurologic exam if she is still acting drunk and having balance issues, as well as a thorough otoscopic exam (possibly under sedation, if needed) since middle/inner ear infections can also cause the symptoms you describe. Blood work and additional testing for tick-borne illnesses may also be helpful if nothing else is found.

Poor guy. I highly suspect that Ghost may have a tick borne disease that was transmitted when the ticks were feeding on him. I would highly recommend taking him back to your vet for a tick titer test to check for these diseases and also get him started on antibiotics (i.e. Doxycycline is the antibiotic of choice for tick related diseases) right away! If he is still not able to recover well wthin 24 hrs of starting the antibiotics, then you should consider having him hospitalized with IV fluids and around the clock care. His condiiton is not good and I would err on the side of caution. I am so sorry that Ghost is so ill, and I sincerlely hope he is able to make a full and speedy recovery soon. Best wishes and 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.

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.