Spotted Fever

Is extremely dangerous if it enters into your dog’s circulatory system

Spotted fever is caused by a tick bites to your dog that spreads the organism known as “rickettsiae” and is most commonly spread by two types of ticks.

The first is the American Dog tick or the Lone Star tick and is the most common tick to spread this infection, residing primarily in the eastern part of the United States.

The second tick is the Rocky Mountain wood tick, where spotted fever gets its name from, and this tick is prevalent throughout the western United States. However, it must be noted that spotted fever can be found in most all parts of the United States.

This infection is especially dangerous as the organism enters into your dog’s circulatory system and actually starts to replicate itself.

This dangerous organism can cause direct damage to your pet’s vascular system, which can result in vascular inflammation as well as the death of the cells that will swell in the pet’s skin, causing it to hemorrhage.

In addition to this, if this infection is severe, your dog will also face the dangers of a drastic lowing of blood pressure, potential shock, and even a sudden death. Spotted fever, as with most viral infections, can be reduced in severity if your dog’s immune system is strong to begin with, prior to being infected.

Antioxidant vitamins and minerals are an essential for your pet’s circulatory health.

Several medical studies have shown that Vitamins C and E, and the trace mineral selenium help strengthen your dog’s blood vessels and heart muscles from potential viral infections such as this infection.

Animals that have their diets supplemented with selenium have also shown in several tests to live 50% longer, as this mineral also has an inhibitory effect on the aging mechanisms, as well as protecting against vascular disease and infection.

It is impossible for your dog to get enough of this trace element without supplementation.

Vitamin E has proven in several tests to play a significant role on the effect of the arteries and the heart, especially important when dealing with a potential threat to your dog’s vascular and circulatory systems that spotted fever will bring.

However, Vitamin C supplementation for your dog in preventive protection against this and other viral diseases is the most potent of the vitamins. In humans, there have been actual cases where spotted fever has been completely cured by intravenous doses of vitamin C, as documented in Dr. Thomas Levy’s book, Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins.

Building your pet’s immune system and then supplementing them is a must to protect your dog against this and several other potential viral threats.

Symptoms of this infection will start to show in your dog with-in a week of a tick bite. The acute stages will show signs of loss of appetite, fever ranging from mild to severe, as well as muscle and joint pain in your dog.

There may also be a swelling in the lymph nodes as well as edema in the face and legs.

Edema is also known as dropsy or kydropsy, and is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin, or in one or more cavities in the body. Neurological signs of this infection will include dizziness, depression, and a sudden or aggressive stupor in your dog, which can potentially cause seizures in the pet.

In the most severe of cases, an acute renal failure may occur as well. Renal failure is better known as kidney failure, and it is a situation where your dog’s kidneys will fail to function properly.

Spotted fever also carries the potential risk of an increased vascular permeability, whereas the capacity of a blood vessel wall to pass through small molecules, or even as whole cells to the site of the inflammation that is caused by this organism, may not be able to function properly.

Because of this additional threat, fluid therapy for your dog should only be used with extreme caution.

Spotted fever symptoms also may include a severe redness of the eyes as well as a pussy discharge, as well as nasal discharge. Most all dogs will experience loss of appetite, but some dogs may also suffer extreme weight loss even with the short duration of infection.

Diagnosis of this infection can be difficult, as the symptoms are quite often very similar to other viral infections and can be very seasonal.

As with any serious infection with your pet that demonstrates sudden symptoms, you should take your dog immediately to your veterinarian.

FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENTS

Treatment for this infection will vary by the severity of the infection, but in most all cases, antibiotics will be used, such as tetracycline and or doxycycline.

The best form of prevention of spotted fever is to have your pet, and you, avoid tick infested areas such as heavily wooded landscapes as well as fields.

Regularly inspect your pet for ticks and use tick prevention collars as there are several good brands to select from, as well as tick and flea shampoo.

If you do find a tick on your dog you need to remove very quickly, and if possible, save the tick to take to your veterinarian.

Natural Treatments for Spotted Fever

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