Babesiosis
There has been some media coverage of this over the last day or so following cases in the Harlow area. Babesiosis is a tick borne protozoal parasite disease that we have only seen before in dogs that have travelled abroad.
Recently, there have been cases in Essex (Harlow) in dogs that have not been abroad and the tick responsible for spreading the disease has been found for the first time in the area.
It is a serious disease that can be rapidly fatal due to severe haemolytic anemia. Symptoms can include loss of appetite, fever, lethargy, weight loss, pale or yellow gums, distended abdomen
Our current parasite control recommendations do not include tick control because our major concern in this area has been lungworm.
Now it would seem sensible to improve tick protection in our patients but there is no single product that will protect against lungworm and ticks
Also, the best treatments to protect against Babesia are tick treatments that kill and repel the ticks before they bite the dog rather than killing the tick after biting.
All of the best products are POM-V and cannot be written about in the public domain. So, please give us a a call and we can advise you on the best treatment plan for your dog 01268 533636
If you have any questions about this subject either call the above number or leave a message on our Facebook page
