Pet Medicine - Medication

Common Pet Medical Conditions and
their Associated Treatments

Flea, Tick, and Mosquito Problems

Most pet owners would agree that flea-related problems are the number one issue that they regularly confront. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who realizes that there are over 2,300 different species of fleas in existence today! While the dog flea ( Ctenocephalides canis), bird flea ( Echidnophaga gallinaceaand Ceratophyllus gallinae), and the human flea ( Pulex irritans) can be a bother to your dog, it's the cat flea ( Ctenocephalides felis) that's the most common species infesting both your cat and dog. Ticks, of which there are approximately 850 species worldwide, and mosquitoes, numbering over 3,000 species, can be just as abundant, if not more so, in your environment.

Flea, Tick, and Mosquito-Borne Illnesses and/or Diseases

Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are capable of causing a wide variety of illnesses and/or diseases, not just to pets but to their human companions as well. Fleas are perhaps best known for being the causative agent for the Black Death bubonic plague during the 14 th Century that took the life of approximately one-fourth of the population of Europe. Ticks alone are the cause of approximately thirty major diseases, several of which are detailed below. There are also a number of illnesses and life-threatening diseases attributed to mosquitoes. Let's take a brief look at some of the most common health problems and how such problems can affect both you and the animals that you love.

Flea-Borne Illnesses and/or Diseases

Fleas are notorious for causing discomfort on many levels. Not only are humans subjected to the occasional itch associated with a fleabite, pets can also develop an almost overwhelming hypersensitivity to the saliva of a flea, often referred to as flea allergy dermatitis. The resulting intense scratching can cause mild to severe hair loss, skin abrasions, and/or skin infections. Young, small, old, and/or debilitated animals might also experience major health problems such as anemia and potential death due to an "out of control" flea population.

The other health related problems resulting from fleas include, but are not limited to, the following:

Cat Scratch Fever - a bacterial infection most often caused by Bartonella henselae that can be introduced into cats via a flea bite and that can also effect humans and occasionally dogs
Haemobartonellosis (sometimes referred to as Feline Infectious Anemia in cats) - a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas and/or ticks which effects red blood cells potentially resulting in anemia, depression, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fever and that can actually cause death in dogs and/or cats that are suffering from a severe case of the disease and/or cats that are already inflicted with feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus
Murine Typhus (sometimes referred to as Flea-Borne Typhus or Endemic Typhus) - a bacterial disease most often caused by the Rickettsia typhi organism that can effect both animals and humans and can result in death
Plague - as previously mentioned
Tapeworm ( Dipylidium caninum) infestations - intestinal parasites to be discussed later in this guide
Tularemia (sometimes referred to as Rabbit Fever) - a highly infectious bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis that can be transmitted to both animals and humans and that can be fatal if not treated

Tick-Borne Illnesses and/or Diseases

Ticks are currently the number one transmitter of infectious disease in the United States. On a worldwide level, only mosquitoes as a disease vector surpass them. As there is a great deal of debate about which species of tick can transmit various illnesses and/or diseases, we'll simply discuss the medical conditions themselves. The primary illnesses and/or diseases that are often discussed in relation to ticks include, but are not limited to, the following:

Babesiosis - a "malaria-like" disease caused by various Babesia protozoa that can range from mild symptoms to immunosuppression and/or death
Colorado Tick Fever - a viral disease also known as Mountain Fever or American Mountain Fever that's characterized primarily by recurring bouts of fever; can result in encephalitis, heart problems, and/or severe bleeding
Ehrlichiosis - a bacterial infection caused by various rickettsiae Ehrlichia species resulting in either human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HE) and/or human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) and that can be fatal if treatment is delayed; often resembles Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; canine ehrlichiosis, caused by a different Ehrlichia species, can be extremely fatal; can also effect horses and other livestock animals
Lyme Disease - the number one vector-borne disease in the United States; a bacterial infection caused by various strains of Borrelia spirochetes; known to cause illness in humans, dogs, and horses
Masters' Disease - considered to be a "Lyme Disease imitator" that continues to baffle researchers
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - merely one form of Spotted Fever that's caused by Rickettsia rickettsii and that's considered to be the most common fatal tick-borne disease in the United States if it's diagnosed incorrectly or if treatment is delayed; dogs are also susceptible
STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness) - the same thing as Masters' Disease
Tick Paralysis - a reaction to the toxins in a feeding female tick bite that can be potentially fatal in just a matter of days; prompt removal of the tick usually results in total recovery
Tick Typhus - yet another form of Spotted Fever that's spread by ticks
Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever - a bacterial infection caused by several types of Borrelia spirochetes that is seldom fatal and often limited to the very young or elderly
Tularemia - as previously mentioned

Mosquito-Borne Illnesses and/or Diseases

While there are a number of illnesses and diseases that can be transmitted via mosquito bites, we'll take a brief look at the main ones effecting both humans and animals. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

Encephalitis - various forms of a mosquito-spread viral inflammation of the brain that can effect humans, dogs, and horses and that can result in death; a vaccine for horses is available as a preventative measure
Heartworm ( Dirofilaria immitis) infestations - intestinal parasites that can effect dogs, cats, ferrets, humans, and a number of other animals and that will be discussed later in this guide
West Nile Virus - yet another potentially fatal viral infection that can effect humans, horses, and occasionally cats, dogs, domestic birds, and domestic rabbits.