I need your help,Please!!!

I need your help with something, because I'm very confused! My 8-month-old Cocker Spaniel Puppy has never had any ticks, but when he goes for a walk with my dad he likes to walk on the grass (even if I have asked HIM not to let him do that due to stray dogs.

We noticed he was with fever like a week ago, thought he was with the flu but then he was looking tired, sleepy all the time (he's usually very active). We took him to the vet and he thought he had some renal infection, and sent him medicines to that. Then he thought we'd take an X-ray to discard other complications like intestine oclusion but those were fine, too.

Finally he had a blood test run for Blondie and he was diagnosed with ehrlichia canis. Now he's bleeding out of his eyes, vomiting a lot, can't eat anything I'm simply desperate The vet says he's going to be okay, but he'll have to take this medicine called doxicicline and it's normal that there's blood in his vomit and eyes.

Can you people please help me here!? How did he get that illness without having had ticks! Is he going to be okay? Thank you!

I'm not going to be any help, but I just wanted to tell you that Blondie is simply BEAUTIFUL!!!! Thankfully, the vet said all will be ok!! Just my thought here, but maybe he still got a tick bite without you seeing the tick? Hope he feels better very soon. Also just wondered how long it would take until the meds kick in.......did the vet say? Poor baby needs to eat.

Im quite sure that a Tick wouldn't cause this, i mean i work in a veterinary practice and i've assisted the vets with operations and during general surgery and we've had plenty of dogs come with Ticks and no major problems. I also live in a very Rural area (farms and large fields... plenty of them) and we haven't had anything that you have mentioned.

You've done the right thing in taking Blondie to the vets to be checked out, but it's very strange. I've checked with the list in our Veterinary Practice and the medicine "doxicicline" or "Doxycycline" is not on our list neither is it on our list of autherised veterinary drugs and their companies.

If you live outside the UK then there might be some medicine that are different from over here in the UK.

If your vet says that she/he is going to fine then im very sure she/he is and after all a vets will do whatever they can to make sure that your dog is going to be fine.

Hope this has helped ,

destructive dobe

Blondie is very beautiful! I certainly hope that she's feeling better very, very soon. Have you tried giving her unsalted chicken broth, maybe with a few small pieces of cooked white chicken meat?

And have you done any research on the internet about the disease or the drug? That's always a good place to start.

Poor poor doggie. Is he feeling better yet? I hope so because nothing makes me sad like a sick doggie. My dogs never get sick but that is because I love them too much to let them get sick at all.

Great resource, Serena. I've saved the home page in my favorites list and I'd encourage everyone to do the same for a future reference source.

I know, but I just assume that because I love my dogs soooooo much that it is the love that keeps them from getting ill. Kind of like a blanket of antibiotics. They say love heels all wounds. Sorry if I seem over zealous.

Good explanation, Jimbo. I wish that always worked. If loving something so much really did work miracles, most of us would have immortal pets. One thing we can be sure of though; our love for them contributes almost as much to their well-being as their love for us does to ours.

Thank you everybody for your comments and help. I've also saved that page under my favorites, thanks a lot Serena for finding it!

I beg to disagree with James Peterson. If love prevented pets to become sick, Blondie would have never ever been this ill. He's the most spoiled and loved dog that could ever exist, that's why I didn't understand about ticks because he's never had any. (He's a *HE*, don't mind the name, please. )

Yes I live outside the UK, I live in Costa Rica and according to the research I've made on the Internet, this kind of tick disease is common in tropical or sub-tropical areas. The vet said the tick might have bit him and then left. As odd as that sounds, he had just been sprayed with Frontline which is supposed to prevent them for about 2 months. That's why I can't understand what happened with a "tick".

Blondie doesn't go outside the house, he lives in, but he used to go for a walk with my dad almost every day. My father spoils him rotten, and since Blondie loves grass and flowers, as soon as he sees a grass pad near the buildings outside my house, there he goes to play. My neighbor just told me she used to do that too, but then realized there were lots of ticks around and she just never takes her dogs out anymore. It's just not safe enough with all those diseases and ticks, as sad as that sounds because doggies just love to be outside!

He's doing a lot better, hasn't gotten sick at all today, and has been taking his medicine (he's a really good boy, he understands it's his medicine and takes it easily). He's been very active, even if he's ill, the vet says he's a very happy patient and that does great for his recovery! Thanks for all your good wishes and advice, I hope to be reporting soon that he's all healthy and fine again!!

I find that sometimes my dogs get sick for no apperent reason at all... so I just end up praying to Allah. That and I know a few real good Vets.

Could we not turn this thread into a 9/11 discussion, please? I have my own religion, but I'd be very thankful, Mohamed, if you say a prayer to Allah for Blondie, too.

I would be happy to say a prayer for Blondie... and all of allahs creaters

Thank you very much!

Returning to subject, Blondie's never lost his appetite, not even while being so sick. I read it was normal for dogs with this tick illness to behave normally. Does that mean they don't feel any pain? I can't believe he'd be hungry and playful if he was in a lot of pain. At least I'd like to know he's not hurting, but I can only hope

You can pretty well count on a dog not being in pain if it is eating and playing well.

Keep us posted on Blondie's progress, okay?

hmmmmm, I wonder if one of your beloved dogs EVER chews anything, would you get them euthanized?

Sorry all for this reply and response, but this poster is out of his mind.

In regards to the issue at hand, it is very possible that "Blondie" did indeed have a tick and you never knew about it. You don't always spot ticks on your dogs. Some ticks are extremely small and grow larger as they feed. Either way, I hope your dog does well. Good luck

This post is from quite a long time ago. It's from September '04.

(((Hugs))) to you and Blondie. I hope he feels much better soon. Please keep us upbated.

Dena

Uh, I really love my dog Rocky but it's not going to keep him from getting sick. In fact, in his early puppy stages he got very sick and I loved him...

I get sick during the year, my dad loving me won't play a factor in whether I do get sick or not...