Bacterial Infection (Tularemia) in Dogs

Tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever” is a zoonotic bacterial disease that can affect many varieties of mammal, including humans. Your dog may become infected through exposure to wildlife, infected domestic animals or contaminated soil or water. Incidents of tularemia tend to be higher when tick and deer fly populations are on the upsurge during summer months. This is a serious bacterial infection that can be fatal if untreated. If you suspect your dog has contracted tularemia you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Early antibiotic treatment generally leads to a positive outcome.

A zoonotic disease caused by the Francisella tularensis bacteria, this illness is contracted by exposure to contaminated animals, soil or water. This disease has a good prognosis if antibiotics are administered early on, but can be fatal if untreated.

It can be one to ten days from exposure to the bacterium before symptoms arise in your canine. Humans are also susceptible to tularemia and can be infected by their pet. Symptoms in humans are similar and if you expect that you have contracted tularemia, you should see your doctor as well for prompt treatment. 

• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Frequent urination
• High fever
• Jaundice
• Lethargy
• Reduced mobility
• Skin ulcer
• Stiffness
• Swollen glands
• Throat infection
• Tick infestation
• Vomiting

Although this disease can be spread at any time, incidents of tularemia tend to be higher during warmer months, when temperatures are favorable for tick outbreaks. 

Types

There are two varieties of tularemia bacteria found in the United States, Type B (Francisella tularensis biovar palearctica) and Type A (Francisella tularensis biovar tularensis). Type B is a milder form of the disease that is associated more with water contamination and aquatic mammals. Type A is the more serious of the two, and prompt medical attention is required to treat the infection. 

Tularemia is a zoonotic bacterial disease caused by a bacterium in the Francisella Tularemia family. It is also known as “rabbit fever” as rabbits and squirrels are particularly efficient propagators of tularemia.

 Zoonotic diseases can affect a large variety of mammals and can be transferred from one species to another. This means that it can be passed on to not only other canines in the household, but also to other pets as well as human family members. 

Common infection methods include:

• Contact with an infected animal or animal carcass
• Contaminated soil
• Contaminated water
• Inhalation of aerosolized bacteria
• Skin to skin contact
• Tick, flea or deer fly bite

Symptoms related to tularemia will prompt your veterinarian to get a full history on the patient, taking particular note of what wildlife or other common infection vectors your dog may have been exposed to in the last few weeks. Typically, a general physical examination will be given and a complete blood count and chemistry profile will be completed. A preliminary diagnosis based on the physical exam and history may prompt treatment even before the final diagnosis is completed, and a bacterial culture test will also be ordered.

The symptoms of tularemia are similar to the symptoms of other bacterial diseases such as pseudotuberculosis and plague, so a definitive diagnosis requires the bacterium to be identified by either culture or by antibody testing. If left untreated, the diagnosis of tularemia is often discovered during necropsy. In some areas, diagnosis of tularemia may need to be reported to the local public health authorities.

The prognosis is good for animals that are treated with antibiotics to fight the infection early on in the disease. The longer symptomatic tularemia is left untreated the worse the prognosis becomes, and the more likely it becomes that the infection will lead to fatality. 

Streptomycin is often used reliably in both animals and humans to combat tularemia infections, although other antibiotics such as gentamicin or tetracycline may be recommended depending on the circumstances. There is a risk of damage to the ears due to ototoxicity with the specific antibiotics required to fight Francisella tularensis, but it is slight. It is essential with this and other treatable bacterial infections to continue treatment for the full complement of the prescription, ten to fourteen days depending on the type of antibiotic used. This applies even if the symptoms have gone into remission as ending treatment before it is recommended can lead to a full relapse of the disease. 

Depending on the symptoms present, treatment may also include IV fluids to prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Making sure that your pet completes the full measure of their antibiotic medication is the best thing you can do to protect their health with this disease. Keeping your dog in a secluded environment will help prevent the spread of the bacteria through the household and will allow you to better control that environment. Keeping the recovering patient in a calm and quiet environment will help speed the recovery, as will having food and water within reach of your pet. Prompt removal of feces should be observed, and gloves should be worn during this process. As this disease is communicable between species, it is essential to adhere to vigilant hygiene practices while attending to your pet, such as frequent and thorough hand washing. Pregnant women, the elderly and small children should exercise extreme caution when assisting with recovery as they may be at risk for infection themselves.