My dog has Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. On meds, still sick. Will he survive?

It is good that you are aware that ticks can transmit diseases! RMSF as you said and Lyme disease are just two of them. Her behavior may or may not be related to the tick, but since some of these diseases can be lethal, I would recommend taking her (and the tick if you have it) to the vet. The right antibiotic can help most tick borne diseases significantly! I hope this helps!

This sounds like a pretty complex situation, and I'd agree that an infection of some sort seems likely with a high WBC. I'd be worried about something viral, perhaps even meningitis, especially if it seems that she has neck pain, but that's basically a guess on my part. She should be tested for tick-borne diseases (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichia, babesia, Lyme) if that hasn't been done. I'm not sure how far you are from a specialty hospital, but it sounds like she's still not out of the woods, and in the absence of a definitive diagnosis, I too would be worried. I would recommend taking Sky to a specialty hospital, where they might be more capable of diagnosing the problem and getting her the appropriate treatment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can rest him as much as possible. Just like a sick person needs rest, they do too. However, this is concerning and warrants letting your veterinarian know as he may for example benefit from adding pain control medications added to his treatment protocol. They should be able to recommend further based on their knowledge of the case. Have a good day!

Rocky is very handsome! It is possible he contracted a tick-borne disease when the tick was attached. I recommend taking him back to the vet to run some blood work and find out why he isn't feeling well. If they find the cause, they can start medications to help him feel better. Remind them about the tick when you see the vet. Good luck and kisses to Rocky!

Hello. Evans Syndrome is a condition in which we see an immune mediated anemia along with a significant drop in platelet numbers. Most dogs do very well with treatment & often can eventually be weaned off of most, if not all, medications. Some dogs never have another problem while others will relapse & require additional treatment. But without any treatment just about all these dogs will eventually die. The standard of treatment is well known & works for the majority of patients. I hope Rocky responds well if you decide to pursue treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is tough. I practice in Arizona where Valley Fever is common and Rex does have many of the signs. Bloodwork will also show high globulins and mildly high white blood cell count if that helps. If you have been in this area at all in Rex’s life, it’s worth pursuing. (Titers can be negative and it still be the cause.) On a dog this sick, I usually also start an anti inflammatory dose of steroid which we think helps the fluconazole penetrate and provides the more immediate improvements of our treatment. A good broad spectrum Dewormer in case of lung worms or abnormal parasite migration is worth a shot. I also must note that though he is young, we cannot rule out cancer- horrible though it is to contemplate. Please feel free to consult with me using the link below if that would be helpful. Best wishes to you and Rex.

Typically dextrose is given when their blood sugar is low. A low bloo sugar is a result of not eating and it can cause weakness and seizures. Distemper can be fatal. It has potential to cause respiraory symptomas and GI problems and in advanced cases it attacks the nervous system and cause a head bob and seizures. It is not always a fast progression, so they can be sick for weeks before getting better or worse. It is a viral infection so suportive care is all you do to wait for their body to fight the virus off. make sure the secondar bacterial infections stay under control with antibiotics, keep the fever under control and make sure they are eating and drinking well