I have a chihuahua that is approx 5 years old. She was diagnosed with tick fever recently when I put her on pet insurance. They did a blood test and found her “tighter” (?) level to be low. I had her on a six week course of medication and the blood test came back the second time with no change. All other blood test information came back good.
The information on the website does not talk about tick fever only lyme disease. I have googled information, but have come up with very basic infomation. I would like to find out some detailed information so I can know how to treat her naturally and what supplements are best for tick fever.
Thank you so much for your help.
Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. First, what tick titer was she positive for (usually a positive test is high)? Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Ehrlichia are the other tick borne diseases that are tested by titer. Was she tested for the tick borne diseases because she was sick, because dogs can have a positive titer due to exposure but not due to actual infection?
Generally exposure is not treated, so a dog is only treated if the tick infection is causing actual clinical signs. Some clinical signs are paralysis, fever, shifting lameness, lethargy and loss of appetite (there are many clinical signs of tick diseases). Along with medication, there are several ways to support your dog with a tick disease.
Supporting the immune system is the primary way to help your dog fight the tick disease. Immugen by Thorne is a great supplement to help boost the immune system. TF- Defense by PetAlive is a great homeopathic that particularly focuses the immune system to fight tick borne diseases. Additionally, focusing on a high quality diet, with good protein, low to no carbohydrates and healthy fats also promotes a healthy immune system. Best of luck.
Regards,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA, CVCP