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Question
20 Jan 2004
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Are tick-borne illnesses contagious between dogs?
We were recently baby-sitting a dog, who it turns out had a tick-borne illness at the time.
Our 4 month old pup was in close contact with him during his stay, often playing quite roughly (I think on one occasion the bigger dog nicked him in his mouth and a few drops of blood were shed)
The owners of the sick dog are currently waiting on the results of the blood test, to determine what particular illness he has, but what I’d like to know is whether tick-borne illnesses are contagious between dogs.
Is it possible that my pup could’ve caught the sickness during their rough and tumble games, when fluids (saliva & blood) were swapped?
Just an FYI – the only symptom our pup is showing of possibly being ill, is he had a bit of an upset stomach this morning. Otherwise he is quite alert and healthy.
Our 4 month old pup was in close contact with him during his stay, often playing quite roughly (I think on one occasion the bigger dog nicked him in his mouth and a few drops of blood were shed)
The owners of the sick dog are currently waiting on the results of the blood test, to determine what particular illness he has, but what I’d like to know is whether tick-borne illnesses are contagious between dogs.
Is it possible that my pup could’ve caught the sickness during their rough and tumble games, when fluids (saliva & blood) were swapped?
Just an FYI – the only symptom our pup is showing of possibly being ill, is he had a bit of an upset stomach this morning. Otherwise he is quite alert and healthy.
CyberVet
The common tickborne diseases are biliary (Babesia canis infection) and tick bite fever (ehrlichiosis). These diseases are transmitted only by the bite of the tick or a blood transfusion, and cannot be transferred by simple contact, even rough play. If you can find out what exact disease the other dog has, I would be more able to give the accurate information as to whether it is contagious.
Dr Malan van Zyl
Veterinary Specialist Physician
Cape Town
Dr Malan van Zyl
Veterinary Specialist Physician
Cape Town
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