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Tick-Borne Diseases: Welfare Management in Dogs
Overview: Comprehensive welfare assessment for tick-borne infections in dogs, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis.
Key Welfare Facts
- Multiple tick-borne pathogens affect dogs in the UK and Europe, with Lyme disease most common in Britain.
- Lyme disease causes lameness, fever, and kidney disease in some dogs, though many remain subclinical carriers.
- Babesiosis causes severe haemolytic anaemia, rapidly fatal without treatment using imidocarb dipropionate.
- Ehrlichiosis affects platelets and white blood cells, causing bleeding tendencies and immunosuppression.
- Tick prevention using effective acaricide products is the primary welfare intervention for all tick-borne diseases.
- Regular tick checks and prompt removal within 24 hours significantly reduces disease transmission risk.
Welfare Assessment
Tick-borne disease welfare management requires effective prevention through acaricide products and vigilant tick checking. Dogs travelling to or from Europe face a broader range of pathogens requiring specific prevention advice tailored to destination.
What You Can Do
- Use veterinary-approved acaricide products providing month-long tick prevention throughout tick season
- Check dogs thoroughly for ticks after every walk in tick-endemic habitats
- Remove attached ticks promptly using a tick removal tool with a twisting motion
- Seek veterinary advice on additional prevention for dogs travelling to mainland Europe