By: DIANA LADDEN 12/19/2006

HILLSDALE, NY-A week ago Saturday he was a healthy, happy hunting dog

pursuing his genetically determined career with vigor, eating with gusto

and taking the occasional recreational swim in the pond. This week,

having been examined and treated by local vets and specialists in

Westchester County and after having been revived with CPR three times at

home, he died in his owner's arms.

The dog, a pointer, was exhausted by multiple systemic failures

that resulted from a tick borne disease-not Lyme disease-that has not,

until now, been part of routine screening by many local vets.

Over a weekend of telling the story to friends, four other people

had stories about the deaths of animals that sounded eerily familiar.

For the last several years, Columbia County has had the highest per

capita rate of Lyme disease infection among humans in the United States.

But Lyme and other tick borne diseases also affect dogs; and with such a

large population of ticks, it's not surprising that man's best friend is

exposed to some of their owners' least-welcome problems.

The illnesses involved are ehrlichiosis and babesiosis. And while

they are carried by ticks, they require different types of treatment.

Robin Moretti, a veterinary technician at Mountain View Animal

<> Hospital in Greenport says that although commonly used diagnostic tests

identify heartworm, Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis, there is a new strain

of ehrlichiosis, called canine anaplasmosis. It requires a new test

marketed by companies like IDEXX, in Westbrook, Maine. "Be sure to ask

your vet for the diagnostic test that includes the new strain of

ehrlichiosis," said Ms. Moretti.

She adds that because the most common signs of erlichiosis are hidden,

all dogs should be screened.

Ehrlichiosis was first identified in dogs in Algeria in 1935. It

can also affect cattle, sheep, goats, horses and people. In the 1970s,

military dogs returned from Viet Nam with the tick borne disease (TBDs),

earning it the nickname "tracker dog disease."

The agent that causes the disease is a rickettsial organism

similar to a bacterium. It is transmitted through the bite of infected

ticks ticks. The brown dog tick is the most common carrier.

According to canine infectious disease experts, the greatest

challenge in battling ehrlichosis and babesiosis is accurately

diagnosing the signs, and this is one of the major reasons for the

disease being underreported and misdiagnosed.

The diseases are nearly asymptomatic until quite advanced and

often mimic other diseases.

According to Ibulaimu Kakoma, DVM, Ph.D., an expert on tick borne

diseases in animals, the two keys to success to thwarting these

illnesses are early recognition and proper treatment.

Treatment with antibiotics can produce favorable results, but

treatment with steroids or drugs not in the tetracycline class can "have

tragic repercussions," he says.

TBDs go through three states: acute, sub-acute and chronic.

The acute phase takes place one to four weeks after infection. The

dog may have flu-like symptoms: fever, lethargy, loss of appetite,

diarrhea and lameness. The dog may act as if it is painful to be touched

and yelp when picked up. Laboratory tests at this stage could show<>

decreased red blood cells and increased white blood cells. Liver, kidney

or pancreatic enzymes may be elevated. Antibiotic therapy is recommended

to thoroughly eliminate the organism.

If the animal is not treated during the acute stage, the illness

moves into a sub-acute stage, characterized by a stabilization of body

weight. Any abnormalities in lab tests are subtle. This phase can last

months or years, with the parasite living within the host and not

overwhelming the immune system. But if the animal is affected by factors

like an increase in stress, surgery, excessive work, pregnancy or a

combination of other diseases, the organism can assert itself and the

condition of the dog becomes chronic. The parasite sometimes lives in a

specific organ, making it difficult to treat. It can also impair the

animal's immune system, causing death.

Humans do get tick borne diseases, but not from their dogs, cats,

horses or any other domestic animals. They must be bitten by the tick.

Ehrlichiosis is unusual in cats.

Dr. William Rasweiler, of Copake Veterinary Clinic, told The

Independent Monday that his practice will be recommending the IDEXX 4Dx

test.

"Don't panic, but we do have more concerns than before. It is no

longer just Lyme, but a multitude of tick borne diseases. The movement

of animals from different areas and the mild winter weather are the main

things in terms of increased tick borne disease," he said.

To contact reporter Diana Ladden, e-mail dladden@indenews.com

mailto:dladden@indenews.com.