Every country around the world has illnesses that are specific to their geography – for animals and for humans. As DIBS focuses on Mexi-Mutts, we thought we we see in Mexico.
Ehrlichiosis
- Ehrlichiosis – not typical to Canada but found in US in the south eastern states, and countries south of there, including Mexico. Treatment is typically 30 days of doxy
- Other Tick Borne diseases:
- Anaplasmosis – less common than Ehrlichia, but can be found in Mexico. Treatment is typically 30 days of doxy
- Lyme – not found in Mexico, but common in Canada. Treatment is typically 30+ days of doxy.
If a dog tested positive in Mexico, treatment would have been completed prior to travel. Dogs typically stay in the shelters for many months, so they have lots of time to recover locally. Many front line rescues, upon rescuing a dog, will start with 30 days of antibiotics, as it is likely that the dog is ill in some way. This will help heal infections, tick related diseases and get a dog well on their way to ideal health. For front line rescues, where they are constantly underfunded, it is more cost effective to treat first and test later. Once treatment has been completed and some time has passed, the dogs will receive a snap test, which tests for tick borne diseases, as well as heartworm.
Positive tests – one frustrating thing is that a dog may test positive for Ehrlichia, even after they recovered, when testing via a snap test. If you dog has been treated for Ehrlichia in the past, and tests positive, we recommend a second test of their blood to ensure they are fine. Or, alternatively, you could treat with antibiotics again, but do know that antibiotics are hard on the body, and even if you do this second round, there is a good chance they will test positive again next year.
Check out this great infographic on Ehrlichia – https://www.cdc.gov/ehrlichiosis/pdfs/fs-ehrlichiosisowners-508.pdf
Heartworm
- Heartworm! We often hear people say “we don’t have heartworm in our area”. If you have mosquitos, then yes, your dog does have a chance of getting heartworm!
- Common in low-income areas and we find it in areas of Mexico with lower elevation. It is rampant in areas like Florida, Texas and many reserves (warm climate combined with lack of vetting)
- DIBS has a longer article on it, but know it’s no joke! Annual preventatives are expensive, but so worth it.
Check out this longer article on Heartworm – https://dibsrescue.com/heartworm-disease-highlevel-overview/
TVT (transmissible venereal tumors)
- Sexually Transmitted – could be comparable to HPV in humans. (Not a big deal, but needs to be treated asap!)
- Treatment is chemotherapy, typically 5 or so sessions (may need more depending on infectious area). Can be expensive to treat in Canada, just due to lack of knowledge or exposure. We tend to spay/neuter our pets here, so there is less promiscuity between pets, which slows down the spread. And, while it is an STD, of course it can be spread via sniffing or contact with an affected area, so some dogs may have tvt on their face/mouth instead of genital area.
- DIBS has our front line vets test for this with a cell/microscope test to detect cancerous cells. Treatment in Mexico will be under $500 so we prefer to treat them in Mexico and let them recover prior to traveling.
- Pro tip – don’t google images of this. Only the worst photos make it on the internet and most cases we see are not represented online.
Here is another article on TVT – https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/transmissible-venereal-tumor or https://petcureoncology.com/tvt-in-dogs/
Distemper
- Sadly this disease is worldwide and some wildlife may die of this disease
- All DIBS dogs are vaccinated against distemper.
More on the Distemper survivors can be found at – https://dibsrescue.com/distemper-survivors
Parvo
- Parvo is a virus that is highly contagious and can be found anywhere that animals are unvetted.
- It happens often in puppy mill environments where vetting may be a low priority.
- Vaccinate!
More on Parvo – https://pemah.com/dr-sims-on-parvo-everything-you-need-to-know-about-canine-parvovirus