Ehrlichia (Ehrlichiosis) is an infectious, tick-borne disease that your canine can fall victim too, if bitten. The disease is most commonly carried by brown deer ticks but if you spot any kind of tick, either remove the tick or bring your pet in to us here at the hospital. The quicker the tick is removed, the better chance there is that your pet does not become infected. 

This tick-borne disease gained attention in the 1970’s when sick military dogs returned from the field infected. It is also called the “Tracker Dog Disease” because the military dogs and hunting dogs have always been the most common canine breed to get the disease. Most likely this is caused by their numerous exposures to a habitat abundantly full of ticks. The fields and woods these dogs work are precisely where the ticks dwell. Breed specific, Bloodhounds, German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers are the top three of the most infected breeds. Because there is no vaccination for Ehrlichia, it’s important to understand the signs and know how to limit your pet’s exposure to infected ticks.

Similar to Lymes disease, the symptoms of Ehrlichia are divided into three stages. Acute (early disease), sub clinical (no outward signs of the disease) and chronic (long-standing infection). It’s very common for tick-borne diseases like Ehrlichia to go unnoticed until the disease is in the chronic phase, and therefore more dangerous. It’s important to know all signs of the disease, despite the order of the stages (Fig 1).