Second dog diagnosed with Lyme; this one has Anaplasosis 2
He tested positive for Lyme (like Morgan) and he also tested positive for Anaplasmosis. He is asymptomatic on both infections. He will be treated for the Anaplasmosis and of course not the Lyme unless he becomes symtomatic. I have no experience with the Ana - does anyone here? Other than the tic issues, for 9 he is extremely healthy - he's gained 4 pounds since we switched to raw food and is now 92 pounds - but the vet says he looks better, I know he has more energy and his coat is better. Right now he is in the crate drying after his ath - okay who really thought I could get him bather BEFORE the vets  |
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| I am not sure of this sickness. Did they give to each other.????
Seems strange as to how they both are ill. Best wishes for a good out come.  |
| Anaplasmosis is what is found in humans, when it hits canines it gets a new name, Ehrlichiosis. I believe we've had discussions on this nasty, nasty problem. Now that it's been discovered, I hope you and the vet watch carefully. There's always a chance this was a false positive, so I'm sure the vet will be checking again. |
| found this info
What is Anaplasmosis? Anaplasmosis is an infectious disease that is caused by a bacteria called Anaplasma phagocytophilum. This lives inside of the white blood cells and can cause a variety of problems. Anaplasma was formerly called Ehrlichia equi, so you may hear this disease referred to as Ehrlichiosis. This can infect both dogs and cats. How does an animal get infected with Anaplasma? Deer ticks carry this bacteria. Tick bites spread the infection. Deer ticks can carry other parasites, including Lyme disease, so we do see pets with multiple infections. It is very important to check for other infections when we suspect Anaplasmosis. What are the signs of Anaplasmosis? In general most pets will show signs within 10-14 days after getting the infection. However, there are some cases where the pet will become sick months later. In most cases the signs appear suddenly. The most common signs of infection are high fever, lethargy, and swollen painful joints (this can be dramatic). The pets become dumpy, will not eat well, and will be reluctant to move. Painful joints can shift from leg to leg and they may cry when they try to move. Other signs of infection include vomiting, diarrhea, and neurologic signs. We have seen dogs have seizures and other brain disorders with Anaplasmosis. Some pets may develop liver and kidney damage with the infection. This usually goes away with treatment, but we will want to be sure that there is no permanent damage. Some pets may develop bleeding disorders that show up as nosebleeds, bloody urine, or severe bruising on the skin. Some pets may carry Anaplasmosis but show no signs whatsoever. In these cases, the infection may eventually be cleared by the immune system or the pet may become sick down the road (especially with periods of stress). How is Anaplasmosis diagnosed? Diagnosing this disease may be difficult in some cases. Here are the tests we recommend and how they help us diagnose and treat your pet: Complete Blood Count: This test measures and evaluates the cells that circulate in the bloodstream. Most dogs with Anaplasmosis will have abnormal cell counts. The platelets (which help the blood clot correctly) and the red blood cells are usually lower than normal. The white blood cell count is usually low and in about half of cases we will see the bacteria inside of the white blood cells. Chemistry Profile: This test looks at the internal organ function. It is very important to evaluate the internal organs to make sure there is no damage. This also helps us plan how aggressively we need to treat your pet to have a good outcome. Urinalysis: Pets may have kidney damage with this infection. Evaluating the urine will check for kidney damage and allow us to plan our treatment. Our greatest fear is that pets may develop permanent damage, which is rare. 4Dx Test: This screens for Anaplasmosis, Lyme disease and another tick disease called Ehrlichia canis - as well as heartworm disease. Dogs can have multiple infections. We have found that dogs with multiple infections are more likely to become sick and more likely to have internal organ damage. In some cases we need to run special tests. These tests are sent to outside laboratories, which means there is a delay before we get results. One test that we may run is an antibody test, which tells us if the body has been exposed to Anaplasmosis. The other available test is a DNA test that looks for Anaplasma DNA in the bloodstream. These tests are most helpful in difficult cases where we do not have a clear diagnosis on our initial bloodwork. How is Anaplasmosis treated? Doxycycline is an antibiotic that we use to kill Anaplasma. This is given once or twice daily, depending on the situation, for 4 weeks (although sometimes we will treat for a longer period of time). It is very important to give all the medications as directed. The number one side effect of this drug is stomach upset, which can usually be avoided if given with a meal. In severe cases, we may need to give other medications and treatments. If there are bleeding problems or organ damage, we may even need to keep the pet in the hospital for advanced care. What is the prognosis? With proper treatment the prognosis is good. Most pets respond within 1-4 days and will make a complete recovery. We have occasionally seen dogs that have developed immune system problems after an infection with Anaplasmosis. In these cases the dogs require anti-inflammatory medications in addition to antibiotics. Can anything be done to prevent it? Good tick control is vital. We stock products that are safe and effective. Pets never develop a strong immunity to this infection, so we can see pets develop multiple Anaplasma infections over the years. Can I get Anaplasmosis from my pet? No. Humans can get Anaplasmosis, but we get it from tick bites. You cannot get the infection directly from your pet. Keep in mind that if your pet is infected you have Anaplasma in your area, so be very aware of ticks on you and your family |
kerry wrote: He tested positive for Lyme (like Morgan) and he also tested positive for Anaplasmosis. He is asymptomatic on both infections. He will be treated for the Anaplasmosis and of course not the Lyme unless he becomes symtomatic.
Kerry, as you've probably figured out, it's not uncommon for TBDs to travel in "packs" (not packs of dogs, but that a dog will test positive for more than one). Great that he's asymptomatic. If he's on doxy for the anaplasmosis <?> that should treat the Lyme infection as well presuming true positives. It could be that his own immune system was working to clear it, but better safe than sorry. Brrrr! Good reminder for me to pick up some frontline plus before I head to St Louis. I won't normally use it but I've decided to make an exception for MO. We picked up more than our share of ticks during that weekend last year.  For those of you who do Frontline regularly (mind you, it's not a fail-safe method of prevention), ticks are already reportedly active here in SE Wisconsin. Yuck, yuck, yuck!
Kristine |
| Good info on the Anaplasmosis! Friend had a rescue with it, one of the few reported cases here at that time.......dog was from Texas. Now the disease is being seen more often. Anyway, the sheepdog nearly died one New Year's Eve to sudden hemmorage from nose due to the Anaplasmosis. City emergency vets had no clue, but her country vet suspected and tested. Dog was on doxy for a long time and did end up with residual joint problems and other problems. The dog was severely "down" when rescued from the kennel along the TX/NM border. Now we know why. Even after that scare, Jake went on to enjoy another 4 or so years before succumbing to all the damage done by the Anaplasmosis.
So glad your dog is doing so well. May it continue! |
Mad Dog wrote: kerry wrote: He tested positive for Lyme (like Morgan) and he also tested positive for Anaplasmosis. He is asymptomatic on both infections. He will be treated for the Anaplasmosis and of course not the Lyme unless he becomes symtomatic. Kerry, as you've probably figured out, it's not uncommon for TBDs to travel in "packs" (not packs of dogs, but that a dog will test positive for more than one). Great that he's asymptomatic. If he's on doxy for the anaplasmosis <?> that should treat the Lyme infection as well presuming true positives. It could be that his own immune system was working to clear it, but better safe than sorry. Brrrr! Good reminder for me to pick up some frontline plus before I head to St Louis. I won't normally use it but I've decided to make an exception for MO. We picked up more than our share of ticks during that weekend last year. For those of you who do Frontline regularly (mind you, it's not a fail-safe method of prevention), ticks are already reportedly active here in SE Wisconsin. Yuck, yuck, yuck!Kristine Yes frontline is good for ticks - we used to use it all the time. since fleas are so problematic here at the lake we have had to switch. Dan is using advantage. I use promeris. don't ask - I don't knwo why we use different treatments. Lyme and other TBDs are so prevelent here. we use the topicals an vaccinate - I assue that is why the dogs are less symptomatic. honestly we knew organ was sick when he was diagnosed - not so with Cedric. One reason to go to the vet on a regular schedule (besides his love of fine things ) |
| Kerry, I'm glad you caught it and he's getting treatment considering he wasn't showing symptoms. Ticks are bad here, too, but fleas are worse. I use Advantage pretty much year round. We've not had a lot of TBD here (THANK GOD), but it's always a possibility since it never gets cold enough down here to kill pests.
I have treated my yard and sprayed around the outside of the house and decks, buildings, etc. I find that if I only treat the dogs, it's like pouring a glass of water on a bonfire. It's just not effective. So, I always like to treat everything. |
Beaureguard's Mom wrote: Kerry, I'm glad you caught it and he's getting treatment considering he wasn't showing symptoms. Ticks are bad here, too, but fleas are worse. I use Advantage pretty much year round. We've not had a lot of TBD here (THANK GOD), but it's always a possibility since it never gets cold enough down here to kill pests.
I have treated my yard and sprayed around the outside of the house and decks, buildings, etc. I find that if I only treat the dogs, it's like pouring a glass of water on a bonfire. It's just not effective. So, I always like to treat everything. We are pretty limited in what I feel comfortable doing. Our yard runs off into the lake and the lake is our resevoir.  there are just so many chemiclas we can throw in there. |
| Oh yeah...well, that does make it more difficult. I'm fortunate not to have that as an issue. |
 to you guys and Cedric too of course~ |
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