A rare tick-borne disease that can cause a “horrible death” in dogs has reached the east coast of Queensland for the first time.
Key points:
- A tick-borne bacteria that can kill dogs has spread to North Queensland
- Ehrlichiosis attacks a dog’s immune system and symptoms can include unusual bleeding, lethargy, fever, and anaemia
- The best method of protection from ehrlichiosis is prevention through both a tick collar and oral tick treatment
Ehrlichiosis is spread through ticks carrying the bacteria Ehrlichia canis (E.canis) and can have deadly consequences for family pets.
A dog tested positive for the disease in Townsville last week.
Campbell Costello from Outback & Airborne Veterinary Services said it was the first time the disease had been found on Australia’s east coast and should not be underestimated.
“It’s a big risk,” the veterinarian said.
“I’ve had dogs come in that are bleeding from their eyes, the nose, the anus, struggling to breathe because they’re bleeding into their lungs.
“They die a horrible death.”
‘Radiation-like symptoms’
Authorities do not know how ehrlichiosis entered Australia but the first cases in the country were detected in dogs in Western Australia in May 2020.
The brown dog tick has been in Australia for decades, spread across Western Australia, the Northern Territory, northern South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.
It acts as the host to carry the bacteria.
Dr Costello said that it was not a new tick but a bacterium, not seen in north Queensland before, that could cause the “radiation-like” symptoms in dogs.
“This little bacteria is really sneaky,” he said.
“The tick bites the dog, regurgitates the bacteria into the dog’s bloodstream, and then that bacteria goes and attacks the liver, the kidneys and, most importantly, bone marrow.
“A white blood cell comes along and eats [the bacteria], and it sits inside the white blood cell dormant.
“You kill all these mites in the bloodstream with antibiotics and every now and again, you’ll get one that goes up and hides in a cell and then waits for the antibiotics to wear off and they relapse.
“So dogs can be really, really sick for a really, really long time.”
The ‘great pretender’
Dr Costello said the tick-borne disease had been dubbed “the great pretender” because of how the disease presented in dogs.
He said some signs could be unusual bleeding, lethargy, loss of appetite or anaemia.
“It looks like anything,” Dr Costello said.
“It’s just got a really wide variety of clinical signs.
“They can look yellow because their liver is infected and they’ve got jaundice.”
Protecting your pet
There is currently no vaccine available for ehrlichiosis so prevention is the best method to protect your pet.
Dr Costello said a combination of oral medication with a tick-prevention collar or treatment was most effective, offering 90 to 95 per cent protection.
“[Oral tablets] only offer a ballpark 70 per cent protection on their own, so it’s very clear that they must be on the tablet and a tick-prevention collar … or you can use a spot-on treatment and a tablet.”
Unfortunately the disease is likely here to stay, so he says the priority for veterinarians is keeping it contained.
“I don’t see us stopping or stamping out this disease,” Dr Costello said.
“Anyone who is travelling, and they’re going to take the pet with them in the car or an aeroplane, make sure they’re on those products to prevent it from spreading.”
