Babesiosis is a potentially fatal tick-borne disease in dogs caused by Babesia parasites, emerging in the UK following climate change and dog movement.
Babesiosis causes acute and severe disease characterized by haemolytic anaemia, organ failure, and circulatory shock. Dogs with severe disease suffer profound weakness, respiratory distress, and multi-organ dysfunction. Mortality rates are high without early aggressive treatment. The disease causes significant suffering in individual dogs and owner distress. Prevention through rigorous tick control using veterinary-prescribed preventatives is the most effective welfare strategy. Climate change is expanding both tick ranges and disease risk in the UK. Prompt tick removal after walks in tick-risk areas is important.