I am sending this message to all pet owners of Panama in the hopes that the tragedy I experienced will not be repeated. I lived in Panama for over 1 year, between November 2006 - April 2007, specifically in the Boquete and Coronado area. I left Panama in April of 2007 and moved to Europe. I travelled to Panama from the United States with my dogs and my cats who had always been healthy. In November 2007 my younger dog, Anthony, a pit bull mix of only 4.5 years old became ill with gastrointestinal problems. In addition to his stomach problems he was experiencing vomiting, coughing, diarrhea, had two seizures, and his gums became very pale. None of his symptoms made sense, I took him to 4 doctors and all they could say was that he had gastroenteritis. After a treatement of antibiotics he improved, and he was fine for almost a month. Then one morning I woke up and he had obviously lost sight in one eye and was very disoriented. It was not until extensive blood tests were conducted that I discovered that Anthony was suffering from Ehrlichiosis, a tick disease. While we did everything we could, Anthony died as a result of this disease; my little 10 year old terrier Cleo was tested for the disease and came up positive as well. This tick disease is extremely rare where I live now, and I am convinced that both my dogs contracted the disease in Panama.

What frustrates me the most is that I am a veterinary techinician, I helped treat dogs in Boquete suffering from this disease, and I still missed it. The symptoms of Ehrlichiosis seem to appear differently in every dog, and it can even go dormant in the dog's body for years. Cleo has never shown any symptoms of the disease and she is currently being treated for it; unfortunately the bout of gastroenteritis seemed to be enough to cause the ehrlichiosis parasites to wake from dormancy in Anthony's body. Before this Anthony was an extremely healthy and fit young dog.

I hope that every pet owner in Panama will take this tragedy seriously. Please have your dog screened for tick diseases on a yearly basis, educate yourself on the many various symptoms and signs of Ehrlichiosis, and use whatever methods you need to in order to keep ticks off of your dog. The good news is that Ehrlichiosis can be treated easily with an extended course of high antibiotic doses if it is caught early. Thank-you

Suzanne Gardner

Hi Suzanne,

Thanks for the information and very sorry to hear about your loss. We are currently in Boquete with our cats and I'm wondering if they are suceptable also, or does it just affect dogs?

Allan

Hi Allan, Thanks for your comments,

Cats do not seem to be affected by this tick disease like dogs, but they can rarely become ill from it. It takes at least 24-48 hours of attachment for ticks to transmit this disease, and cats usually groom themselves and remove any ticks before the ticks can transmit the disease. However if you notice your cat losing weight, not eating, or the gums on the cats become very pale, I would have them checked. A blood test will determine if they have the disease. It should also be noted that this is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can affect humans as well. Tick checks and prompt removal of ticks can prevent this disease in all mammals.

Cats do get erlichia. Two months after we moved to Boquete in 2004, my cat got very sick. Blood tests resulted in a diagnosis of erlichia - the definitive marker of the disease is a low platelet count. The treatment is doxicycline and hydration. He recovered in 2 days and has had no other problems. This disease is very common here, and in dogs it is often hidden, as Suzanne says.

I'm sorry about your dog, Suzanne. Thank you for taking the time to warn people in Boquete about this disease.

Thank you for the warning. Does anyone know where you can take your dogs to have their blood tested for thia disease? Thanks

Take your dogs to Chely. She can draw blood and have it tested at a lab in Boquete in a couple of hours. She is very familiar with erlichia and knows how to treat it.

Hi
Can some one tell me if there is a preventative treatment for this problem. We are moving to boquete in July and will be bringing our 6 year old dog
Thanks

Apart from Erlichia ticks can seriously affect the dog's immune system.

There are many tick control products available here like Revolution, Aadvantix, and Frontline.

Unfortunately, the toxicity level of these products discourages me from using them.

Currently I'm using tablets called endectocida which seem to be working.

I've also seen Brewer's Yeast with Garlic offered as a holistic alternative.

good luck, welcome, Keith

The best preventative for tick disease is early removal of any ticks; most tick diseases, including Ehrlichiosis, can only be transmitted if the tick has been attached for over 12 hours. I kept both of my dogs on Advantix, and sometimes switched to Frontline, but I would still frequently find ticks on the dogs. Fortunately my dog Cleo has recovered from Ehrlichiosis, but Anthony did not make it. While we can try herbal remedies, or chemical solutions, to try to keep the ticks at bay, it is still important to regularly check your animals for ticks and immediately remove any ticks that you find.

Suzanne

Just an FYI - an area often missed when checking your animals for ticks is between the toes and foot pads. Remember that these are in (nearly) constant contact with the ground and vegitation thereon. This is a common area to miss when checking them for ticks. Also, check around the genitals and anus. As distasteful as this may sound, your pet is not 'embarassed' by it and you could just be saving their life.

They take care of you.....do the same for them. )

Doc Werner