What Is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or RMSF for short, is a parasite carried by ticks and transmitted through their bites. Although cats can get infected with RMSF, it’s much more common in dogs.
The disease lives within the host’s cells. It causes inflammation of blood vessels, and as it progresses, it can lead to organ damage, decreased blood platelets, anemia, and can also affect the nervous system.
Left untreated, the disease can cause permanent organ and / or nervous system damage, and eventual death. With that said, treatment is simple, and early action can prevent long-term repercussions. What’s more, there are preventative medications you can give your pets in order to protect them from this potentially dangerous disease.
What Causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?
Certain species of ticks carry RMSF, including Rocky Mountain wood ticks, American dog ticks, and brown dog ticks (the main culprit in Arizona). In order to infect an animal, the tick must be latched on to its host for five to 20 hours.
What Are The Symptoms Of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Lack of energy
- Lack of appetite
- Muscle / joint pain
- Abdominal pain
- Coughing
- Diarrhea
- Depression
How Is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Diagnosed?
Since symptoms of RMSF can be connected to many other diseases or conditions (as is often the case), it’s imperative to contact your veterinarian if anything seems amiss. If RMSF is suspected, blood tests can determine whether the pet has been infected. The sample will be analyzed for low blood platelet counts, in addition to other factors that are consistent with RSMF, such as antibodies, coagulation, and chemical analyses.
How Is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Treated?
This disease can be treated with a round of antibiotics, and if caught early, prognosis is extremely good; symptoms may start to disappear in as little as 24 to 48 hours. With that said, severe cases may not respond to treatment, and depending on the progression of the disease, permanent damage of the organs from this infection may require further treatment or lifelong management. What’s more, additional treatments, such as blood transfusions (to offset anemia) and intravenous fluids, may be necessary, depending on the nature and severity of the case.
Again, prevention is key here. Keeping up with your pet’s monthly parasite prevention routine, including tick medication, can help protect them — after all, if they die after the initial bite, they can’t feed for the amount of time needed for RMSF to develop. Also, check your dog for ticks every day (use gloves to keep yourself safe), especially during the time of year when these pests are most active or if you’ve spent time in or near a wooded area. When doing this, you should always wear gloves, and be sure to remove and kill the entire tick; consider getting a pair of specialty tick tweezers to do the job.