Ticks sure are disgusting aren't they?  Did you know that they also transmit disease?  Most people have heard about Lyme disease which is well known tick borne disease.  Luckily in Boulder we don't have the Lyme disease parasite called Borrelia in our ticks.  But we do have several varieties of ticks that can transmit other disease.  Ticks are typically know as the disease vector meaning that they spread the disease and are not made sick by the organism.  They just carry it.  Our Veterinarians have been seeing an early population of ticks starting to come out and clients are reporting more ticks then we would expect at this time of year.  Ticks need to be attached and feeding for about 48 hours to effectively transmit disease.  Checking your pets after hikes and runs through fields is an important part of prevention.  Finding ticks and removing them before they attach themselves or very shortly after will aide in prevention.

Prevention consists of the application of a medication that will kill ticks once they bite our pets.  Most commonly our Vets recommend using Frontline Plus applied monthly during tick season which typically runs from April to June.  Once it starts getting hot and dry we don't typically see to many ticks except in lush riparian areas around rivers.  Ticks are often found around Button Rock reservoir in Lyons throughout the summer.

Removing a tick can be quite easy.  BVH's Veterinarians recommend using an index finger and a thumb to grasp around the tick as close to the skin as possible and gently squeeze and lift.  You will often hear a little pop sound as the tick is removed from the skin.  Those little suckers hang on tight so sometimes a little force is necessary.  It is not uncommon to see a little welt develop at the site of the tick bite which should resolve in several days.  Veterinarians do not recommend using a burning match or any other method to remove a tick.  People are often concerned about whether the entire tick has been removed.  You can check the tick after removal to ensure the entire tick is present.  If there are still some small parts of the tick remaining under the skin it is not of extreme concern.  A word of caution; sometimes things like skin tags or moles look a lot like a tick.  Ticks have legs and moles do not.  Please make sure that you are removing a tick before you start pulling!

The primary tick borne diseases that our Vets see at Boulder Vet are: 1.) Ehrlichi (pronounced Er-lick-ee-uh)
2.) Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever

Ehrlichia is a parasite of red blood cells and platelets.  Platelets are a cell that helps clotting after injuries.  They are the first responder cell that helps stop bleeding quickly until the biochemical process known as the clotting cascade can completely stop the bleeding process.  Patients that have become infected with Ehrlichia typically come into Boulder Vet not feeling well.  They are typically sick and don't want to eat and have lower energy then normal.  Our Vets perform a nose to tail physical exam on all patients and the Vets report that a typical Ehrlichia patient will have a temperature, swollen lymph nodes under their jaws or behind their knees, pale mucous membranes, and sometimes a bloody nose.  A blood test is typically recommended to aid the diagnostic process.  Veterinarians often identify some abnormalities on the screening blood test including a low red blood cell count know as Anemia, a low platelet count known as Thrombocytopenia and often blood protein levels are increased.  Rarely the pathologist who reviews the sample in the laboratory will actually see the parasite living within the red blood cells on the sample.  Ehrlichia is typically treated with an antibiotic called Doxycycline and most patients do quite well and are feeling much better within several days of starting treatment.  Ehrlichiosis can often resemble an immune mediated destruction of red blood cells and platelets so it is not uncommon to start treating your pet for both diseases until we can determine the true cause of the problem.  For more information on Ehrlichia please visit BoulderVet.com and click on the link for the PET MEDICAL LIBRARY.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a tick borne disease caused by an organism called Rickettsia (pronounced Rick-et-sea-uh).  RMSF (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) is a very severe disease typically that results in a condition called Vasculitis.  Vasculitis is a severe inflammatory process that occurs in blood vessels like veins and arteries.This vasculitis can result in clotting abnormalities and anemia as seen with Ehrlichia   RMSF dogs can often have such a sever inflammatory process occurring within their blood vessels that they can develop DIC which is severe life threatening complication of many disease processes where the clotting cascade mentioned above goes hay-wire and our blood starts clotting within our vessels.  Diagnosis of RMSF is difficult and often a diagnosis of exclusion.  Fortunately it is fairly rare and we don't see to many cases.  It is a severe disease and often carries a poor prognosis.  Treatment is supportive and involves dealing with the complications caused by the organism and starting an antibiotic like Doxycycline to kill the offending organism.

Meet Charli!  She has unofficially become Boulder Vet's mascot.  You may see her pop up frequently on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boulder-Veterinary-Hospital/130063710379600?ref=hl and she may great you in our reception area.  Sometimes she thinks the cookie jar is there just for her so she may let out a few barks but rest assured she is a sweet heart and would love for you to come say hello. 

Charli came to Dr. Berman after a client of his became overwhelmed after the addition of a beautiful baby boy named Reid to their lives.  They made the very difficult decision, that with their 2 toddler aged children and other Frenchie they just didn't have the time that a sweet little girl like Charli deserved.  Knowing that Dr. Berman was looking for a Frenchie after becoming smitten with the breed they asked if he would give Charli the love and attention she deserved.   

Of course I was ecstatic and welcomed Charli into my home with open arms and an open heart.  Over the last year I have realized just how lucky I am to have this sweet little girl in my life.  She is absolutely the most wonderful little dog that I've ever had the pleasure to care for.  She is so silly and constantly brings a smile to my face and causes me to break out in laughter.  Frenchie's are just so silly.

Charli is my example of how special the human animal bond is to me as a veterinarian.  I see this bond in the eyes and actions of people on a daily basis but it is so hard to place in to words.  I hope to use this blog as a platform for trying to express the importance of this bond in the lives of people who care for animals.

Rabies Virus an Emerging Threat in Boulder County

Boulder Vet has seen a recent increase of wildlife encounters with aggressive coyotes recently.  These dog-wildlife encounters have been occurring with increasing frequency over the last several weeks.  In particular, our veterinarians have seen several wounds occur while our clients have been hiking on the Mt. Sanitas trail in Boulder.

So far, no terrestrial mammals like skunks, raccoon,  coyotes, or foxes have tested positive for Rabies virus in Boulder County.  There is a persistent population of bats in Boulder County that are infected with Rabies Virus, but these have been present for many years.  Surrounding counties around Boulder including Larimer and Adams county HAVE had positive Rabies tests in skunks and coyotes.  recently there was a rabid fox who attacked a dog in Larimer County.  Boulder County Health Department is vigilantly monitoring for any cases of Rabies in the Boulder area.  Unfortunately many veterinary epidemiologists suspect it is only a matter of time until Boulder is also a Rabies positive county.

Rabies virus is a public health risk.  People exposed to blood or saliva typically from a bite wound of an infected animal can become infected by Rabies virus.  Rabies virus untreated is typically 100% fatal in both animals and people.  People who are exposed to a potentially rabid animal need to seek medical attention immediately and will likely need a series of post exposure injections to try and prevent infection with the virus.  Vets and Boulder County Public Health officials are very strongly urging residents of Boulder County to maintain current vaccination status on all their pets in accordance with state law.  Even strictly indoor cats should be vaccinated against Rabies virus as they can be exposed by a bat in a home.

If your pet has a wildlife encounter and sustains any injuries even minor scrapes, they should immediately have their Rabies vaccine booster shot.  It is also very important to not let your current vaccine status expire.   If your pet is exposed to wildlife such as a coyote, you should report the incident to the Boulder County Animal Control/Boulder County Health Department.  They are vigilantly monitoring these incidences and need to know if there is an aggressive animal lurking in areas that are heavily used such as the Mt. Sanitas trail.  Please be prepared to have your pet placed on a 45 day quarantine after such an incident.  Fortunately, during this quarantine your dog will be allowed to leave your home but will be required to be under their caretakers direct control via a hand held leash.  This is an unfortunate situation but with such a severe disease it's imperative to take adequate precautionary measures since a public health outbreak of Rabies virus would be terrifying.

If you would like more information on Rabies virus, please visit www.bouldervet.com and type Rabies into the comprehensive Pet Library search field.  Pleas feel free to call our vets at (303) 442-6262 and we would be happy to talk to you about your specific situation.