Bug Off!

The arrival of spring marks the beginning of the training season for many retriever owners and their dogs. With the return of warmer weather, it’s the perfect time to begin sharpening the skills your dog will need to perform his best in the fall. But spring also marks the return of some unwelcomed visitors, specifically blood-sucking ticks and mosquitoes, which are known to carry a variety of diseases that can be harmful to dogs. Following are some helpful tips on how to keep your dog safe and healthy during the off-season, when these pests are most active.

Tick- and Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Dr. Matthew Ryan is a veterinarian based in Oxford, Mississippi, where ticks and mosquitoes are an almost constant concern for retriever owners. He says dogs can encounter these pests just about anywhere, which is why you should be proactive in protecting your dog from tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses. “North to south and east to west, ticks and mosquitoes are going to be around,” Ryan says. “And because hunting dogs naturally spend time working in tall grass and other vegetation where ticks and mosquitoes are found, these dogs are more
susceptible to being exposed.”

There are five main diseases that can be transmitted from ticks to dogs. Among the most serious is Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria that are carried by deer ticks. While most common in the northeastern and north-central United States, Lyme disease is slowly spreading across the country, and cases have been reported in all 50 states. Other tick-borne illnesses that can infect dogs include ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

The most common illness that is transmitted from mosquitoes to dogs is heartworm disease, which can be fatal. “Mosquitoes are the main vector for heartworms,” Ryan says. “They eat a blood meal from an infected dog, harbor the infective stage of the heartworm for a period of time, and then eat a blood meal from a noninfected dog—that’s how the parasite is transmitted.”

While this might seem like an inefficient way for a disease to spread, it’s no surprise that retrievers are at high risk of infection, considering how frequently they might be bitten by mosquitoes while outside in warm weather. “When you look at our weather patterns now, spring temperatures have started warming up a little earlier, and our weather is staying warmer later into the fall or even winter, so mosquito populations are larger and around longer than they used to be,” Ryan says.

Signs of Infection

Ryan notes that detection of tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses begins at home. Acute symptoms of these diseases include fever, joint pain, and vomiting. He also stresses the importance of watching your dog for signs of unusual behavior.

“One of the easiest ways to recognize your dog might be infected is exercise intolerance,” Ryan says. “If you typically go for a two‑ or three‑mile run with your dog, and all of a sudden your dog can’t even make it a half mile, that could be a sign that you need to get to the vet.”

Another symptom dogs exhibit is shifting from side to side while sitting. “You might see your dog shift all their weight to the left and then shift to the right. Dogs do this to relieve joint pain and inflammation caused by tick-borne illnesses,” Ryan says.

Sometimes a dog that has been infected by a tick bite will simply be off his game during training sessions. “You’ll hear old-timers say a dog is doing ‘sloppy work.’ That can be a sign that the dog might have a tick‑borne disease,” Ryan says. “In terms of training, if your dog isn’t doing what you’re asking him to do, it’s not because he doesn’t want to do it. It’s either because he doesn’t understand what he is being asked to do or he just doesn’t feel well, which is something to keep in mind.”

If you suspect that your dog might have contracted a tick- or mosquito-borne illness, it’s best to take him to a veterinarian as soon as possible. An examination at a veterinarian’s office is required to formally diagnose and treat these maladies, especially heartworm disease, which is often detectable only through a test administered by your veterinarian. Certain blood tests, such as a 4Dx, can be used to detect heartworms, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. Regular annual checkups can help detect these diseases early and support your dog’s overall health.

Disease Prevention

The good news for dog owners is there are many effective ways to prevent and treat tick‑ and mosquito‑borne diseases. “For ticks, there are a lot of good products out there. I always encourage people to talk with their vets, ask what they recommend, and then ask why they recommend it,” Ryan says. “If your vet recommends a multi-month product, ask if the treatment will protect your dog from all the tick species in your area during the time your dog will be taking the medication.”

Ryan says that post‑training and post‑hunt tailgate checks can also help minimize risk. “Right after a training session or warm-weather hunt, comb over your dog, look for ticks, and remove them. Just be sure to carefully remove them from their base to get the heads out as well. With tick‑borne diseases, the one thing that really matters is the length of time that the tick is attached. That tick has to be attached for a certain amount of time before the disease is transmitted,” Ryan says. “And that’s how tick‑preventative medicine works. It doesn’t put a magic halo around your dog that prevents ticks from biting him. It kills that tick before it can transmit the disease.”

Medication that prevents heartworm disease transmitted by mosquitoes is the only way to protect your dog from this serious illness. Again, talk to your vet about preventative options. Unfortunately, there isn’t much that can be done to prevent mosquitoes from biting your dog. “Mosquitoes breed in areas of shallow, stagnant water, so anything you can do to minimize that type of habitat around your home or kennel will help reduce mosquito numbers,” Ryan says. “Beyond that, it’s tough. Decrease your exposure when you can, but the reality is that if we want to be outside with our dogs when the weather is warm, we’re going to have to deal with mosquitoes.”