Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a potentially life-threatening tick-borne disease, has been diagnosed in a patient that was presented to our clinic last week. The dog was severely ill with symptoms that included joint swelling and extreme lethargy. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is NOT common in Nebraska, and despite the name it is actually most prevalent in the southeastern United States. Our patient had never been out of the Omaha area, so this dog serves as a reminder to all of us that we must be vigilant with tick prevention, as we know that RMSF as well as other diseases transmitted by ticks are present in our community and pose a threat to both dogs and humans! Cats, fortunately, do not appear to be at risk of infection with RMSF, but there are other tick-borne diseases which can infect cats; in addition, cats which are not kept on parasite preventative medication may carry infected ticks into their homes, which can then transmit disease to human or canine family members. We strongly recommend that your pets receive monthly flea & tick prevention year round, but especially during the times of year when our weather is consistently over 50 degrees. There are several products available, and our staff can help you select the best one for your pet; call us at 402-291-1255 with any questions! The rest of the story? Our patient spent a few days in the hospital, but she was diagnosed and treated and is recovering well at home! For more information on RMSF and tick prevention, check out the CDCs website at this link: cdc.gov/ticks/
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 15:03:06 +0000
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