Ehrlichiosis - Zeus is seriously ill from a tick bite - Doberman Forum : Doberman Breed Dog Forums

Oriana · 12-25-2012, 05:28 PM

Zeus is 6 1/2 month old, red boy. Most amazing animal I've ever known!!!
High happy energy puppy, tremendous exercise and training drive, loved, beloved, born and raised (and still growing like a weed) on a small Caribbean island.
Life in paradise seam perfect with great white sandy beaches, tropical weather, sweet fruits, hummingbirds and lots of wild horses...until an tropical nightmare infections caused by bacteria Ehrlichiosis transmuted by a brown ticks, made Zu very sick. Was Friday morning, when he acted very lethargic and lazy in his 8am walk. Made it super short, just did his business and set on a side walk sadly looking at me with his watery and bleary eyes. Back home, no appetite at all. Not even a fresh water bawl, with 3 ice cubes in it.
By the same day afternoon, called up a vet. As smaller the island as less vets in practice, so the ONLY one that could help us was on the "main land" and will be back next week, with ferry. Beside island human society guest vet who was there only on Wednesday and other than that, also on the "main land"
By the weekend his condition worsened. Refused to eat, or drink, just was lying helpless, shaking with fever of 105, showed signs of pain, bleary eyes, dander in the fur, shedding, bad breath, very dry and pale gums...
Monday, Christmas Eve, vat was back and by that time I had to carry him to the car. Got his first liter fluid, penicillin injection and doxycycline 100mg. After spending 7hours in a clinic we could go home. Fluids and mads helped .
Day two, Christmas, eating his favorite risotto in chicken soup, still not thirsty for water, continuing with penicillin and doxycycline every 12 hours.

Thank you for reading this far, wanted so much to share it with your amazing community! You guys helped a lot raising this fantastic animal, so I hope my experience will help recognize symptoms and prevent infection going to far.

Zeus & Oriana

Audrey1 · 12-25-2012, 05:39 PM

Sorry you and Zeus have to go through this. Wishing him a speedy and full recovery!

avianantics · 12-25-2012, 06:07 PM

So sorry, I wish Zeus a speedy recovery. Thank you for sharing.

LuvMyDobes · 12-25-2012, 07:00 PM

Sending prayers to Zeus and hope he makes a full recovery.

VZ-Doberman · 12-25-2012, 07:07 PM

Hope Zeus recovers quickly.

LindaH · 12-25-2012, 08:51 PM

So sorry to hear your precious boy is so ill. Does sound like he is better already. Wish him a very speedy recovery. Thank you for sharing!

Sherryh · 12-25-2012, 08:57 PM

I do a rub down of my female when she comes in because we found a big tick on her last year. I hope Zeus is feeling better.........hugs from across the miles!!

**Patches Mom** · 12-25-2012, 11:52 PM

Rays & Hugs to Zeus get better soon.Buddy & Patches & Patches Mom

Oriana · 12-26-2012, 07:01 AM

Zeus is 6 1/2 month old, red boy. Most amazing animal I've ever known!!!
High happy energy puppy, tremendous exercise and training drive, loved, beloved, born and raised (and still growing like a weed) on a small Caribbean island.
Life in paradise seam perfect with great white sandy beaches, tropical weather, sweet fruits, hummingbirds and lots of wild horses...until an tropical nightmare infections caused by bacteria Ehrlichiosis transmuted by a brown ticks, made Zu very sick.
Friday morning he acted very lethargic and lazy in his 8am walk. Made it super short, just did his business and set on a side walk sadly looking at me with his watery and bleary eyes. Back home, no appetite at all. Not even for a fresh water bawl, with 3 ice cubes in it.
By the same day afternoon, called up a vet. As smaller the island as less vets in practice, so the ONLY one that could help us was on the "main land" and will be back next week, with ferry. Beside island human society guest vet who was there only on Wednesdays and other than that, also on the "main land"
By the weekend his condition worsened. Refused to eat, or drink, was lying helpless, shaking with fever of 105, showed signs of pain, bleary eyes, dander in the fur, shedding, bad breath, very dry and pale gums...
Monday, Christmas Eve, vat was back and by that time I had to carry him to the car. Got his first liter fluid, penicillin injection and doxycycline 100mg. After spending 7hours in a clinic we could go home. Fluids and mads helped .
Day 2, Christmas, eating his favorite risotto in chicken soup, still not thirsty for water, continuing with penicillin and doxycycline every 12 hours.
Day 3, looking better, sapping soup, some boiled ground beef and rice.
Still just "poop loops" in the back yard

Thank you for reading this far, wanted so much to share it with your amazing community! You guys helped a lot raising this fantastic animal, so I hope my experience will help recognize symptoms and prevent infection going to far.

Zeus & Oriana

Beaumont67 · 12-26-2012, 07:39 AM

On the road to recovery is great news...Zeus is lucky, you did everything for him and got the medical help he needed.

River · 12-26-2012, 08:16 AM

Glad to hear he's doing better. We live in a high tick disease area too, lots of Lyme around here. Any tick info is helpful. Hugs to your pup!

**MeadowCat** · 12-26-2012, 10:08 AM

I've merged your threads - please don't start multiple threads on the same topic.

Hope your boy gets better fast! Tick borne diseases are awful.

Oriana · 12-26-2012, 08:25 PM

Thank you all, so many out there, for wonderful words of support and positive energy!!!
one more time: Amazing community, dobermans - you all rule!!!

Zu is better

Vet checked him again happy that his temperature is back to 102, better looking eyes and gums a bit nicer as well. Catheter from his pow removed

Hungry, well...almost and so picky .... still not drinking any water since fluids he got in animal clinic, 2 days ago!!! Vet suggested and my common sense... so lot's of fluids in his food.

Long will be on those ugly medications, until next week, as the holidays will be over and vet would return from the "main land" with his full panels (urine, blood, thyroid), when we could maybe cut down on penicillin and just continue Doxycycline.
....I didn't like that antibiotic overdoses my friend is getting, but seam like on Christmas Eve I didn't knew better than to trust this fine lady vet that Zu despite all the thing she did to him, still likes

And those tick prevents out there, was just wondering, non of them can't actually stop a tick from biting your dog???
When we get home after an good hour outdoors, might be even to late...even I did found a tick or two and plucked them out, but did they already bitten my dog?

thank you all again, so much

Zeus i Oriana

Oriana · 12-27-2012, 09:07 AM

Thank you so much for your support.
Unfortunately, rubbing after walks, even total check of each pow and between the toes and thorough ears seam, as well as repellents, just methods of removing ticks from dogs body. Tick will still bite the dog before we rub him! Even on certifect (wish happens to be the only one that hurts those tropical ticks we have) tick first bite, than die poisoned and fall off...but damage has been done! Bacteria Ehrlichiosis is injected in to dog system and 3 to 4 weeks latter is a question of how immunity will strike back!
I want to learn all about those awful creatures and ways to prevent my Zu dog EVER going through this AGAIN!

doxycycline as prevention 2 times a year? Or when inflammation around the bite?
I'd love to hear your experiences and advice.