When Dr. Mohammad, Sophie's vet, told me her diagnosis was anaplasmosis, I asked, "What's that?" I'd never heard of it. More people need to know about this serious, sometimes fatal tick-transmitted illness in dogs.
Sophie's initial lab work in the vet's office revealed a low platelet count, which is why dogs with anaplasmosis sometimes present with a bloody nose. But Sophie hadn't had any bleeding that we knew of. We had taken her to the vet because she had been vomiting bile and acid each morning for six days.
Sophie's second blood test at a respected lab in Vallarta revealed that the bacteria anaplasma was present. Dr. Mohammad prescribed a 30-day course of the antibiotic doxycycline for the infection in her blood and omeprazole to decrease stomach acid and vomiting. He also recommended several diet changes to increase her platelet count and ease her gastritis.
My research revealed that symptoms of anaplasmosis in
dogs can include fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, pain, bloody nose, cough,
lameness, and joint pain. If left untreated, anaplasmosis can lead to serious
health complications, such as organ failure, respiratory failure, and bleeding
problems. However, many dogs that test positive for anaplasmosis never become
ill or require treatment. Dogs that do become ill and receive treatment have a
good prognosis.
How did Sophie acquire anaplasmosis? We
give her Nexgard every thirty days to prevent tick bites. Could an infected
tick have bitten her before Nexgard caused it to drop off? Could that swollen tick
she had imbedded in her toe when we adopted her three years ago have
transmitted it, and has the anaplasma bacteria been present in her blood for
that long? According to my research, it is possible. We will never know.
Where could Sophie have picked up a tick recently? One source says, “Anaplasmosis is found throughout the United States, but the Midwest, West Coast, and Northeast have the highest rates of the disease.” We just returned from an extended motorhome drive up and down the California and Oregon coast, so maybe she was infected there. Or, possibly, she was infected in Mexico, as the infection has been found in this country, too. We haven’t seen any ticks since we started giving Sophie Nexgard three years ago, so it’s a mystery.
It was time to start the work to increase Sophie’s platelets. I haven’t cooked this much since I made baby food for my children many years ago. Yes, Sophie is spoiled—and so were my children.😄
