Lone Star Tick
Tick disease screening is included in all of our Preventive Care Plans for Dogs. This test screens for Lyme Disease, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma. All of these diseases are transmitted from the bite of an infected tick.
Lyme Disease and Anaplasma do not have high prevalence in our area. However, in Taney County, nearly 1 in 4 dogs screened for Ehrlichia test positive. At the Animal Care Clinic, we perform tick disease screening on every dog once a year.
Ehrlichia is one of the most common infectious diseases in the United States. Humans can also contract this disease from ticks.
Dogs can become infected within hours of a tick’s initial attachment. Symptoms of Ehrlichiosis include anemia, bleeding episodes, lameness, neurological problems, and swollen limbs.
Learn how to prevent and treat Ehrlichia.
The map below, taken from the Companion Animal Parasite Council, shows the prevalence of Ehrlichiosis in Taney County, Missouri in 2022.
Ehrlichiosis prevalence in Taney County, Missouri in 2022