Dexter bled more than normal during his castration operation so when he had to have the second tail op the vet did a full blood screen and found he had low red blood cells......He was put on a course of antibiotics that would help with this as well as prevent his tail/ stump( :'(...don't think ill ever get used to that :'() becoming infected.Steroids are the most effective treatment but he couldn't be prescribed them initially as they would slow down his wound recovery.Anyway,another day,another blood test and there has been no improvement in his blood numbers so diagnosis has come back Erlichia Canis.....bacteria from a tick :-\ how?his treatment was up to date?I even brought Advantix back from the UK as my vet gave me a prescription because it's not available here and she said it was more effective than frontline......I took 2 black ticks off Dexter last week,they weren't stuck in him,I could pick them off easy enough but I rang the vet anyway and they said as long as his treatment was up to date they might go on him but would dies as soon as they bit him. :'( Have we got the most unlucky dog in the world or what.....it was a nightmare getting the Advantix too ,a total excercise in persistence ...2 vets wouldn't process the prescription,it was the 3 rd at Pets At Home that did it for me. He's got 10 days of steroids and the vet didn't seem overly perturbed,she said it's common here and he should respond to treatment quickly ......I'm hoping so because of course when you read Dr Google.....it reads a bit bleak Has anyone come across this ? Sorry,here I go again! Xxx
Re: Erlichia Canis ? It's well known you should never google any illness xxx Trust your vet, they wouldn't tell you that he should respond quickly if that's not their experience. Big hugs
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Thanks Barabara ,I know,I know if you google a common cold it tells you to order your box doesn't it!i trust my vet,just gutted that he's not full throttle ,poor fella x
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Don't despair Angela, trust your vet. Dexter will be back to full fitness very soon. xx
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Hey Angela keep your head up! You and Dexter have gone through so much lately you will get through this too. Trust you vet and screw dr. google. If google diagnoses would be correct 50% of menkind would sleep in wooden pajamas already. I'm shure Dexter will be back on track and running very soon so don't panic . Hug your lovely Dexter for me and feel hugged too Odin and Christoph
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Hear! hear! Christoph. Will google it later anyway.....pinch of salt though. Keep your spirits up Angela
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Oh heck Angela , you must wonder what next , I am sorry but I agree re Google . I think we are all guilty of consulting the almighty Google , even when we know that there will always be a doom and gloom article or a scare mongering forum post , ignore it Angela please , if your Vet isnt worried, then dont you be, you`ve had more than enough to cope with, hugs xxxxx
Re: Erlichia Canis ? [quote author=Dexter link=topic=3086.msg32688#msg32688 date=1383059557] '( Have we got the most unlucky dog in the world or what.....[/quote] No, other dogs get these things, but some owners don't know their dogs like you do well enough to notice it. It's the down side of being so close to him, and knowing his every mood, and his every move. And loving him so much. He'll be sorted soon, I'm sure. It's just all happening at once, there hasn't been time for you to rest in between situations. There's a saying "All information is available from an internet search, some of it may even be true...."
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Sorry to hear this Angela - agree, step away from the google screen and trust the vet! Hopefully it'll soon be cleared up. Hugs and licks from us.
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Glad to hear that it isn't serious. As everyone has said, trust your vet, not the Internet! (except this bit of it, haha ;D). I agree with TM - you are vigilant and so is your vet and so things get noticed - and then attended to. Obi had been to the vet about a dozen times in the first 6 months that we had him, so Dexter is not alone!
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Hope you and Dex are ok Angela. Just been reading up a bit on this - maybe explains both the fact that Dex's tail tip was bleeding in the first place as well as why it wasn't healing. So glad this has been picked up. Looks like antibiotic treatment is pretty effective when caught early. Hoping a quick resolution of this for you and your boy :-[ xx
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Angela, so sorry you are having yet another worry with the lovely Dexter. PLEASE, PLEASE get better soon Dexter
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Thankyou everybody as always,trying not to get too down about it,he looks the picture of health to me,bright eyed,energetic,interested in everything and whilst happy to chill out and snooze ,he's also VERY happy to romp and play ;D Jacqui I think you are right ,your point has been discussed with the vet....the fact that he bled more flagged up something so I'm grateful for that because they tested him further ...he's been on antibiotics for 24 days....that worries me and I didn't think to say it until I got home yesterday,if he's got to have them then of course he has to have them and he's been on 2 different types ...but it does seem an awful long time for his system ...
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Hey Angela just read this - been snowed under with work since Satuday and just emerging. How's Dexters tail with all this going on? As the others have said large tracts of the internet are occupied by people trying to pursusade you to buy something, trying to depress you, or just letting you know how wrong/bad/a waste of money someone else was. This site is an oasis in the great Google dessert. ;D
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Angela, remember that antibiotics can be quite specific to bugs - the one he's been on might target skin bugs that hinder healing but not at all good for this tick borne bug. It sounds a bit like if you get a tck bite as a human. You can get Lyme's disease. A 4 week course of doxycycline is used for that too. Sometimes good old penicillin just doesn't cut the mustard. It sounds like he is fine. Your vet is a good one. And you have the healing powers of the forum behind you too xx
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Oh dear, Angela, this is rotten!!! :-X But so glad they caught it, and it can be treated. Step away from the screen and enjoy your company and your lovely, cone-free (?should be soon, right?) dog!!! Hugs and wags to you....
Re: Erlichia Canis ? Ah thanks David and Lisa .....should be stitches out tomorrow,and he might need the cone for a couple more days as there is still a bit of scabbing so the vet said he might bother that until it's dropped away or removing the stitches might cause a little bleeding and he mustn't lick that .... He's lay on my feet all 'naked' at the mo,no collar,no cone, I love him naked ;D x
