Ticks

Animals contract the same or similar tick-borne diseases as humans.

Ticks attack humans and animals – and are equally dangerous to both. A tick not removed in time can, through contact with blood (which can last up to 48 hours), cause: Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis and other serious diseases. The most important and common ailments that animals are exposed to when infected are fever, anaemia, blood clotting disorders (bleeding tendency), change in urine colour, coughing, weakness, muscle and joint pain. While humans are able to control the appearance of bites, animals will not let us know. This is particularly dangerous when the first symptoms appear – as in humans – only after several weeks or even months.

We have a wide range of tick repellents and tick killers available. These include sprays, as well as collars or drops and, increasingly fashionable recently, tablets. Ask our doctors for information on the tick protection programme. We are talking about programmes, not a one-off application, as the effect of all measures is of a much shorter duration that the tick season.

Ticks – FAQs

What diseases do ticks transmit?

• Babesiosis– pyroplasmosis, caused by protozoa. A very serious disease that wreaks havoc on the body, often leading to the death of the animal due to the breakdown of erythrocytes in the blood. Symptoms after 3 to 4 days: sudden weakness of the animal, pale mucous membranes, high temperature up to 41 degrees, dark brown urine or no urine, yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes.
• Lyme disease – Lyme disease, caused by bacteria. The long icubation period ranges from 2 to 5 months. The infected animal becomes apathetic, has no appetite, has a high temperature, and appears periodically lame with associated swelling and severe joint pain. Kidney damage, liver damage, myocarditis and neurological symptoms can occur: paresis, paralysis, blindness, psychological changes.
• Erlichiosis– caused by bacteria-rickettsiae of the genus Enrilicha. Symptoms appear 1-4 months after the bite: weight loss, anaemia, shortness of breath, nose bleeding, corneal opacity, spleen and bone marrow damage,
• Anaplasmosis – an infectious, multi-organ disease occurring most commonly in dogs and horses, very rarely in cats. Symptoms visible after several days: high fever, weakness, apathy. In the next phase, vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss, bleeding from mucous membranes, enlargement of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes occur. Arthritis and convulsions may occur.
• Tick-borne encephalitis– a virus whose symptoms are divided into two phases: the first, from 6 to 12 days, in which there is a fever of 39.5 degrees, muscle weakness in the limbs, gastrointestinal and upper respiratory tract inflammation. After 5 to 8 days of quiescence, the second phase of the illness sets in: inflammation of the central nervous system with a temperature reaching 41.5 degrees, hypersensitivity to sound and light, impaired consciousness, increased difficulty with movement and muscle paralysis.