Ticks and piroplasmosis in dogs, a vet emergency

What are the symptoms of piroplasmosis in dogs?

In 90% of cases, piroplasmosis in dogs appears in its classic form, which is familiar to everyone and easy to recognise. In the remaining 10% of cases, the clinical picture is much more frustrating, with symptoms that are hardly suggestive, making diagnosis difficult.

Symptoms of babesiosis in dogs

The most common form of piroplasmosis in dogs may progress brutally or rather slowly, but always combines the following symptoms:

1. Fever, above 103°F
2. Apathy, lethargy
3. Anorexia or reduced appetite
4. Pink mucous membranes, a sign of anaemia
5. Abnormal colouring of the urine (brick red)

Note that a tick is not always present on your dog. The tick may have fallen off your dog in the hours preceding infection and the appearance of the first signs of piroplasmosis.

Symptoms of atypical forms of piroplasmosis

In certain circumstances, piroplasmosis manifests itself in very different, attenuated forms that are difficult to identify. The main symptoms of atypical forms of babesiosis in dogs are as follows:

1. Heart rhythm abnormalities, shock, inflammation of the blood vessels
2. Acute renal failure
3. Pancreatitis (acute vomiting)
4. Neurological disorders (tremors, spasms)

These atypical forms are rare, and all the more difficult to diagnose. The vet will need to carry out several additional blood tests to identify them.

What should I do if my dog has a tick?

Babesiosis is a disease transmitted by ticks when they bite and eat blood. If your dog has one or more ticks, it can contract piroplasmosis. Only a tick infected with babesia canis can transmit the disease.

First of all, if the tick is small and flat, it has not yet taken its blood meal, so the risk of transmitting babesia canis is very limited.

On the other hand, if the tick is swollen with blood, it may already have infected your dog. Here's our advice if you find a tick on your dog:

You can also book an appointment directly using our online form.

To confirm the diagnosis, our home vet will look at the signs (presence of a tick, high fever, staining of the urine). In a clinic or hospital, the vet will take a blood smear to visualise the parasite under a microscope.

When piroplasmosis is caught early, treatment is simple and highly effective. If the diagnosis is made late, the treatment is more extensive and may involve hospitalising your dog.

1. Remove the tick using a suitable hook: slide the hook into contact with the skin, turn the hook on itself and, after 4 or 5 turns, gently pull the tick out.
2. Once the tick has been removed, clean the bite site with a chlorhexidine-based antiseptic.
3. Check your dog's rectal temperature
4. If your dog develops a fever, contact our on-call veterinary service to make an appointment.

Why piroplasmosis in dogs is a vet emergency?

Babesia canis causes massive destruction of red blood cells. In your dog, this results in anaemia, which can rapidly become severe if the parasites are numerous.

Your dog's situation becomes critical when the number of red blood cells destroyed is high. This is why babesiosis is a vet emergency.

In practice, you can detect anaemia by checking the colour of the mucous membranes. Normally, the mucous membranes are pink. In the event of anaemia, the colour may turn pale pink, or even porcelain white in the most serious cases.

If the destruction of red blood cells is too massive, your dog may need a blood transfusion to ensure a rapid recovery. This intensive care procedure is carried out in a veterinary clinic or hospital and requires access to donors or a blood bank.

When the infected red blood cell bursts, it releases haemoglobin into the circulation. Renal elimination of this protein can trigger acute renal failure, which must be treated in a veterinary emergency.

A perfusion should then be considered, but always combined with cardiac monitoring to avoid complications.

Preventing piroplasmosis in dogs

There are several prophylactic measures you can take to protect your dog from piroplasmosis:

1. Protect your dog against ticks using collars, spot-on pipettes or appropriate sprays.
2. Regularly check your dog's coat and remove all ticks as soon as they are found.
3. If you have removed one or more ticks, check your dog's temperature.

The average time between the tick attaching itself to the dog and the transmission of babasia canis is 24 hours. By removing ticks every day, you can considerably reduce the risk of infection. Don't hesitate to add a tick hook to your first aid kit.