Costa Rica Tick Disease took my dog...How to protect yours.

For those of you who know me and see me frequently, you know that I just lost a puppy.  She was a young Dutch Shepherd named Tama, which is Cherokee for Thunder.  She was the daughter of my other Dutchy, Magnus, and lost a fight to the tick disease here, otherwise known as Ehrlichia.  

The disease can attack any dog of any age.  Unfortunately, along with the surf, sun, and sand, we've also got an abundance of ticks down here.  The disease attacks the animal's red blood cells, as well as affecting the platelet count in the dog.  This leads to decreased oxygen to the animals organs, along with the inability to clot.  My dog passed away while trying to give it a blood transfusion.  Her lungs filled with blood while performing CPR, and we could no longer help her breathe.  It was too late at that point.

There are ways to prevent the disease, which I'm paying close attention to at this point for my existing dog, and for any dogs I have in the future.  One of the best things to do it to spray your garden with tick poison.  While toxic, it's one of the only ways to combat the amount of ticks you can have, especially if you have a hatch on your property, or in your home.  Bovitraz, asuntol, and other similar chemicals can be bought at the hardware store, super market, or vet office all over the country.  You can also give the dog a chemical bath if the dog is highly infested.  Simply wet them down and coat them with a 30-70 (chemical to water) mix, and let it dry.  You'll find dead ticks falling off of them within ten minutes.

If you have the feeling that your dog may have the tick disease (symptoms include anemia, bleeding from the nose, weight loss, loss of appetite, lethargy, and swelling from bruised areas) go have it tested.  I went to the Garza Vet, and also utilized my good buddy Carl (a vet in the U.S. who lives here part time) to try and save my pup.  Unfortunately it was too late, but I did watch the full spectrum of injections and antibiotics (doxycycline being the primary enforcer) get injected.  The sooner you can start treatment, the better chance you have.  My dog passed away within six days of showing her first symptoms.  Don't wait if you have any doubt.  Keep your pet safe, and keep enjoying the good life down here.  See you in the water.