This week: tick fever
The worst cases we see as veterinarians are those that are totally preventable or caused by unfortunate accidents. Some have happy endings but many do not, with the animal succumbing to the Grim Reaper.
We have had some beautiful weather in the past week after the torrential onslaught of last month. But at work we have had an outbreak of a disease commonly called tick fever - and this pattern of weather is partially to blame.
Tick fever is a disease like malaria caused by ticks. Ticks are not transmitted from dog to dog, but breed and lay eggs in soil. Rain and increased soil temperature during the summer months cause ticks to thrive. During these ideal conditions, the eggs hatch and the ticks then climb to the tips of grass and wait for your unsuspecting dog to pass by. A batch of eggs can give rise to hundreds of hatchlings.
Ticks, unlike fleas, are not very mobile. Once on your dog they will find a suitable hiding spot and begin to feed on your dog's blood. They usually latch on to the top of your dog's head and neck, where the dog can't get at them with its mouth.
It is not uncommon to see stray mongrels roaming the streets with hundreds of ticks on their foreheads. Once they have had their fill of blood, the ticks fall back to the ground in search of a suitable breeding place.