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Ehrlichiosis, Ehrlichia
Canine rickettsiosis, canine hemorrhagic fever, canine typhus, Tracker dog disease
AffectedAnimals:
Dogs, cats, and in rare instances, humans. German shepherds and Doberman pinschers tend to be affected more severely by the disease.
Overview:
Dogs get ehrlichiosis from the brown dog tick, which passes an Ehrlichia organism into the bloodstream when it bites. There are three stages of ehrlichiosis, each varying in severity. The acute stage, occurring several weeks after infection and lasting for up to a month, can lead to fever and disorders of the blood. The second stage, called the subclinical phase, has no outward signs and can last for up to five years. If the infected dog's immune system is unable to eliminate the Ehrlichia organism, the third and most serious stage of infection, the chronic phase, will commence. Lameness, neurological and ophthalmic disorders, kidney disease, and anemia and other blood disorders can result. Chronic ehrlichiosis can be fatal.
Antibiotics, administered for an extended period of time, are effective at eliminating the infection. Dogs with severe cases of chronic ehrlichiosis cannot be cured, but supportive care and treatment of diseases secondary to the infection, such as anemia, can help stabilize the dog.
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