Canine babesiosis - what are the symptoms and how to prevent it

Ticks are dangerous for both human and pet health. If your dog is bitten by a tick, there is a risk of it getting infected with Babesia - a genus of protozoa - and developing babesiosis. This disease affects the formed elements of the blood or lymphoid cells of the dog and can be fatal if the correct treatment is not administered. Therefore, it is important to know how Babesia infestation occurs, what symptoms the disease presents, and how it can be treated and how you can prevent your dog from getting sick.

• How babesiosis is transmitted
• What are the symptoms of babesiosis
• How babesiosis is diagnosed
• How babesiosis is treated
• How babesiosis can be prevented
• Is babesiosis contagious?

How babesiosis is transmitted

In dogs, babesiosis can only occur after a tick bite - which is the parasite's host. The dog's body is the second host.

Even if you are tempted to protect your dog more in the warm season, when it is considered to be tick season, it is important to know that in recent years, babesiosis has started to be not just a seasonal disease, but one encountered regardless of the season.

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How babesiosis infestation occurs

Contamination occurs transcutaneously - that is, through the dog's skin. The tick latches onto it and, while feeding on its blood, transmits the parasites through its saliva. These reach the blood, in the red blood cells - the blood cells that are responsible for transporting respiratory blood gases - where they survive and multiply, destroying them.

The body detects parasite-infested red blood cells as pathogens, so the immune system begins to fight against them. Therefore, the destruction of red blood cells occurs simultaneously in two ways, being carried out firstly by parasites and secondly in an autoimmune manner. This situation leads to the onset of massive anemia in dogs suffering from babesiosis and, often, the need for a blood transfusion.

The incubation period of babesiosis is about two weeks, but there are situations where the disease remains undetected due to mild symptoms.

The highest risk of contracting babesiosis is for animals that are:

• young;
• with low immunity;
• malnourished;
• sick.

What are the types of Babesia

There are two species of ticks that cause babesiosis in dogs:

• Babesia canis - large, 2.5-5 microns long;
• Babesia gibsoni - small, 1-2.5 microns long, found worldwide.

In Europe, Babesia canis rossi is the most common.

What are the symptoms of babesiosis

The infected dog's body will try to produce more red blood cells to substitute those destroyed by the disease, but if it fails, anemia will occur. This can manifest as pallor of the gum, auricular (ear area), or conjunctival (eye area) mucous membranes.

Symptoms that should indicate that your pet may have babesiosis are:

• apathy;
• loss of appetite;
• dark urine;
• increased heart rate;
• abdominal swelling;
• yellowing of the gums.

Other less visible effects of the disease include enlargement of the liver and spleen, renal hypertrophy, and gastrointestinal hemorrhages.

In the chronic phase of the disease, the muscle mass of dogs suffering from babesiosis will significantly decrease. If the acute phase is reached, cerebral edema occurs - which means an increase in the volume of the brain due to the increase in water content in the tissues.

How babesiosis is diagnosed

It is very important to pay attention to your dog's behavior and condition, so that you notice any changes immediately, especially since diagnosing babesiosis is not very simple. If one or more of the above symptoms are present in your pet, do not hesitate to take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Through a blood test, it will be possible to detect if the body is suffering from anemia and if the platelet level is optimal. Usually, Babesia parasites are not visible under the microscope. If the animal presents the specific symptoms of the disease, but the blood test did not indicate Babesia, it is necessary to detect antibodies against these protozoa and perform a urine test to confirm the diagnosis.

How babesiosis is treated

Babesiosis infection can even lead to death, so administering the correct treatment is essential. First, the animal must be hospitalized and constantly monitored to know at all times what stage the disease is in.

The veterinarian will use a treatment consisting of administering an anti-infective agent depending on the species of Babesia that caused the illness. After that, a supportive treatment is necessary to reduce the intensity of the symptoms.

The healing process is long and difficult, and for this reason, even after the treatment is completed, you will need to carefully monitor your dog and take him for regular blood tests. During treatment, pay special attention to your dog's diet and hygiene conditions, so that the unpleasant episode of the disease is overcome as quickly as possible and does not return.

How babesiosis can be prevented

You need to pay attention to the environment in which your dog is active and the places where you walk him or take him to play. Avoid taking him to areas with a lot of vegetation and don't forget to check your dog after each outing to increase his safety. If you find ticks, make sure you remove them under maximum hygiene conditions, using tweezers for extraction and alcohol to apply afterward to the area where the tick was.

Very important and with the role of preventing the appearance of ticks and other parasites on the dog's skin is external deworming. There are numerous products that help you in this regard: collar, spray, shampoo, each with an antiparasitic effect, which keeps potential diseases that parasites can transmit away from your dog.

Is babesiosis contagious?

Babesiosis cannot be transmitted from one sick animal to another, so you don't have to worry that your pet might get sick through direct contact with another dog. However, if a tick bites your animal after having bitten a contaminated one, the disease will be transmitted.

It is important to know that babesiosis can also occur in humans, also after a tick bite, but also in other mammals, such as cats.

Babesiosis is one of the most common diseases in dogs, and infection does not depend on the animal's breed, age, or sex. Because this disease can be difficult to treat, it is best to protect your dog as much as possible, keeping him away from areas where you suspect there might be ticks.

Photo source: shutterstock.com

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