Let’s face it. Ticks are horrible. Not only are they little creepy crawlies that half the time you can’t even see, but they also transmit diseases. And horrible kinds of diseases to boot!

Ticks are parasites. This means that they get their nutrients from another species. They feed on the blood of mammals and birds, and sometimes even reptiles and amphibians. They even have an unbelievable survival capacity - the oldest known tick fossil is from the Cretaceous period around 100 million years ago.

Ticks go through four stages in their life cycle:

Eggs
Larva (6 legs)
Nymph (8 legs)
Adult (8 legs)

So why are we so worried about ticks? What diseases do ticks transmit to people and their pets? The list, unfortunately, is a long one. Lyme disease is the obvious one , but the list also includes:

Anaplasmosis
Ehrlichiosis
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Colorado Tick Fever
Q-Fever
Alpha Gal Syndrome
And more.

Ticks can even cause a syndrome called “Tick paralysis”. Although it is uncommon, it is caused by the salivary neurotoxin of a biting tick, causing acute ataxia (poor muscle control causing clumsy movements) that progresses to paralysis. It is most common in North America and Australia.

So let’s break down the most common tick diseases in our area.

LYME DISEASE

Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. In dogs, cats and horses it causes:

Intermittent lameness that shifts from leg to leg
Fever
Loss of appetite
Decreased activity
Swollen lymph nodes
Painful, swollen joints

The clinical signs usually show up 2-5 months after the animal is first infected and by then the disease can be widespread throughout the body. 5-10% of infected dogs show signs of Lyme disease but in people that number is around 90%!! Lyme disease can also go on to affect the kidneys in dogs, a condition called LYME NEPHRITIS, which can even lead to death due to kidney failure. Ugh. No thank you.

EHRLICHIOSIS

This one is caused by a Rickettsial organism, again transmitted by the bite of a tick. A rickettsial organism is also a type of bacteria. Although this one is a less common tick borne disease, it is still just as dangerous as the rest. And we have it here in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. In Ehrlichia infections, clinical signs typically progress from short to long term depending on the strain of the organism and the immune status of the host (you or your pet). In the short term cases there is fever, widespread swelling of the lymph nodes, enlargement of the spleen and a decrease in the number of circulating platelets in the bloodstream. There may also be a loss of appetite, loss of stamina, depression, stiffness and reluctance to walk.

Long term cases, more common in German Shepherds, progresses to the kidneys and causes kidney failure, and inflammation of the lungs, eye, brain and spinal cord can occur. And let’s not forget about those platelets…. if they are affected, spontaneous hemorrhage can occur. In fact, if I see a dog with an unexplained nose bleed I think ticks!

ANAPLASMOSIS

Another Rickettsial bacterial infection. Anaplasma can present very similarly to Lyme disease but it can also affect those platelets, just like Ehrlichia does. A life-threatening thrombocytopenia (a loss of platelets in the blood stream essential for clotting) is not uncommon. It can even cause a type of meningitis and seizures. I have seen many cases of Anaplasmosis during my clinical years in New Jersey, several requiring plasma transfusions due to the destruction of platelets caused by this particularly nasty little bug. These dogs can literally present hemorrhaging to death. We carry plasma replacement products at Stockton Veterinary Hospital for these horrible occasions.

All three of these tick diseases are routinely tested at your dogs annual examinations, along with a heart worm test. We call them a “4dx” or “Snap” test for short. This is a really important test because if there is a tick disease lurking somewhere, we need to know about it and so do you! It is cheap and easy, and it helps your veterinary friends (us!) find and treat these ridiculously horrible diseases. 4dx (tick and heart worm) tests can also be run alongside a “wellness” blood panel that looks at all the different types of blood cells (yes! including platelets!) along with organ function (a chemistry panel) like the liver and kidneys, and, if deemed necessary, a thyroid test. Just like we get our blood work done at our annual physical exams, we do it for dogs and cats too. Any questions? Just ask.

But, when we look at how horrible ticks can be, and the risk they pose to our furry friends, don’t forget our furry friends can bring those darned horrible little beasts into our homes. Just think, Fifi goes for a quick pee break when a pesky tick hops on from the bush she peed under for dinner and drinks (literally). She comes back in and notices you are on the phone to your bestie (and that could take a while) so off she trots for a lovely nap on your bed while she waits for her next cookie break. That little tick which was clambering about on Fifi’s back lost it’s grip and fell off into your lovely fluffy bed. So after watching Jeopardy, taking Fifi for “last call”, you hop into bed yourself and fall into a deep sleep. But….. that rascally tick starts eyeing you up for a midnight feast as his initial dinner reservation (Fifi) didn’t work out….. And it BITES!!!!!

PREVENTION!!!!!

So after all that, I have to say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Seriously! Believe me. For our pets and us lowly humans. And please use prevention year round - ticks can survive in winter and emerge on a day even in February when the conditions are just right. Year round prevention is cheaper than treating the complications of tick disease, which, trust me, our pets don’t want in the first place.

DON’T LET THEM ON!

DON’T LET THEM IN!

Feel free to discuss all the options with us for testing, prevention, and everything in between…. Let’s Talk Ticks!

And before I go….. some local statistics for the geeks out there (including me)

From March 2024 to February 2025, we ran 2073 tick tests on dogs at SVH. 635 were positive for a tick borne disease compared with 587 in the previous 12 months, a raise of 8% in tick borne disease.
In February 2025, 12% of routine canine tick tests were positive for LYME DISEASE.
In February 2025, 21% of routine canine tick tests were positive for ANAPLASMA.
In February 2025, 1% of routine canine tick tests were positive for EHRLICHIA.

So on that note, go forth and prevent those ticks!

“A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his.” — John Grogan, “Marley and Me”

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