Tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis cause significant suffering in dogs and are largely preventable through consistent tick control.
Tick-borne diseases cause significant and often underrecognized suffering in dogs. Lyme nephropathy, one of the most serious manifestations, causes progressive kidney failure with poor prognosis. Ehrlichiosis in its acute phase causes intense systemic illness, and chronic untreated cases can progress to bone marrow failure. Dogs with tick-borne polyarthritis experience shifting, painful lameness that affects their ability to walk, play, and enjoy normal activities. Prevention through veterinarian-approved tick preventatives is highly effective and costs far less in suffering and financial terms than treating established disease. Owners in tick-endemic regions who skip preventatives risk exposing their dogs to diseases that can cause months of suffering and premature death.