Anaplasmosis in Dogs

When trying to figure out if your dog is suffering from anaplasmosis there are a few things to be aware of. While this tick-borne disease is prevalent throughout the entire United States, it has been found to be higher in the Northeastern United States, upper Midwest and the West Coast. Large dog breeds may also be at a higher risk of contracting this tick-borne disease.

Your dog may develop flu-like symptoms such as lethargy, pain and fever. Due to these symptoms being very vague, it will be important to know where your dog has been recently and to check him for any recent tick exposure. Anaplasmosis is often confused with lyme disease as they are carried by the same family of ticks and can produce very similar symptoms. It has been found that where there is lyme disease there is typically also anaplasmosis. It has been found that as little as 24 hours of tick feeding and up to 5 days could result in your dog contracting the illness.

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that can spread to your dog through contact with ticks. This is a bacterial disease that is one of the 3 most common tick-borne illnesses in dogs in the United States.

Your dog may exhibit vague symptoms and signs of discomfort or that something is not quite right with him. It will be important to look for recent tick bites, or current ticks attached to your dog. Be aware of where you live and of the more specific symptoms he may display. Symptoms can be present as soon as 2 weeks after exposure and can last up to 20 days. 

• Lethargy
• Anorexia
• Weight loss
• Bloody nose
• Malaise
• Fever
• General pain 
• Joint pain
• Lameness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Coughing
• Labored breathing
• Meningitis
• Seizure activity
• Ataxia

Types

There are 2 strains of anaplasmosis that your dog may contract – neutrophilic canine anaplasmosis which is caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The second one is thrombocytotropic anaplasmosis and is caused by A. platys.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum) 

• Acute febrile illness also known as fever, chills and muscle/joint pain
• Found in northern regions, upper Midwest and the West Coast
• Transmitted by black legged deer ticks

A. platys 

• Can create a low platelet count in your dog.
• Found in southern regions
• Transmitted by brown dog ticks
• Reported throughout the entire United States

The only cause of anaplasmosis in your dog is by him contracting the disease via a tick bite. There is some indication that your dog could be infected by direction contact with medical tools contaminated by the infection (blood transfusions or needles) but this is very rare.

If you find yourself concerned about your dog and he is displaying symptoms with no other explanation, a trip to his veterinarian may be in order. Your veterinarian will most likely perform an antibody test to determine if your dog tests positive for the bacteria. However, she may also ask for a blood draw in order to definitively find out what your dog has contracted as a positive test does not necessary mean they have the disease, but rather they have been in contact with it. Due to anaplasmosis symptoms looking very similar to lyme disease, it will be very important for your veterinarian to figure how to best treat your pet. Your veterinarian may want to also perform a full physical examination on him to see if he has a fever, any current ticks, feeding spots from a past tick, and more. 

Be prepared to relay as much information as you can at the appointment so your veterinarian can make a correct diagnosis. Has your dog been outside in any areas that he could have come into contact with ticks recently? It will also be important to recall and share with the veterinarian whether you have had to remove any ticks from your pet of late. 

It will also be important to discuss with your veterinarian how long your dog has been experiencing symptoms as there are symptoms that show up within 2-4 weeks of being exposed, but can continue for months to possibly throughout your dog’s life.

When it comes time to decide what treatment options will work best for your dog, your veterinarian may suggest a large variety of medications.

• Doxycycline, orally for 28 days and rarely via IV
• Minocycline, orally for 28 days and rarely via IV
• Tetracycline, orally for 28 days (has been found to cause tooth discoloration)
• Chloramphenicol, orally or via IV for 28 days
• Imidocarb dipropinoate, once then repeat in 2-3 weeks
• Amicarbalide once then repeat in 2-3 weeks
• Short term prednisode, 2-7 days (for severe or life threatening cases)

It has been found that medication administered for less than 28-30 days may not clear up the entire infection. There has been some possibility of reinfection of anaplasmosis even after treatment via tick interaction again or a resurface of the disease.

Once your dog has been diagnosed with anaplasmosis he may test positive on antibody tests for a few months after being treated. This is important to be aware of in the event you bring your dog to a new veterinarian after being treated.

There are no vaccinations at this time to prevent anaplasmosis; however, you can take preventive measures to help your dog avoid further tick exposure and infection. Using tick medication as recommended by your veterinarian will help your dog to avoid having any ticks attach to him. There are several tick avoidance products to choose from and your veterinarian can help you to determine what will be best for your dog.

In the event you do find a tick on your dog there are proper ways to remove it from him. This includes being cautious not to come into contact with the tick or any of it’s body parts by using gloves, forceps or tick removing devices. It can also be helpful to bring in the tick to your veterinarian if you remove one from your dog so that they can test it for any diseases. Removing the tick within 24-48 hours can also help to prevent the transmission of any diseases. 

Lastly, keep the area your dog roams in clean and free of overgrown weeds and grass. Checking your dog regularly for any ticks, bites, etc can also help to ensure infection does not go unnoticed.