Canine rangeliosis is an extremely serious type of tick-borne disease in dogs. The disease - also called blood plague in dogs, nambiuvu disease or canine yellow fever - causes serious bleeding disorders that can lead to the animal's death if there is no proper and quick treatment. Despite the fact that rangeliosis is less known than other tick-borne diseases in the dog(such as ehrlichiosis, babesiosis and lyme disease), is a serious and increasingly frequent condition in Brazil. To better understand what rangelia is, the Paws of the House talked to veterinarian Amanda Carloni, who answered all questions about this disease. Check it out below!

What is blood plague in dogs?

Canine rangeliosis is a serious infectious disease that can affect dogs. Amanda Carloni explains that a microorganism called Rangelia vitalii "Rangeliosis, which has only been described in Brazil, is transmitted by ticks of the species Amblyomma aureolatum e Rhipicephalus sanguineus Canine rangeliosis affects mainly young animals and occasionally adult dogs, with no predisposition to sex or breed," he explains. The disease is more common in rural areas and can appear at different times of the year. In summer, however, the incidence is higher, since there is a greater number of ticks in the environment in the warmer months. Canine rangeliosis can be divided into three formsdepending on the clinical state: acute (lasts about three days), subacute (eight to 15 days) and chronic (18 to 25 days).

Transmission of blood plague in dogs occurs through the bite of the contaminated tick

In order for the pet to contract nambiuvu disease, it must be bitten by a tick that contains the protozoan that causes the disease. Rangelia vitalii will enter the dog's body through the bite and infect leukocytes and erythrocytes, cells that are present in the blood. Inside these cells, the microorganism replicates and ends up breaking the structure. In this way, the rangeliosis parasites will spreadthrough the bloodstream and enter new cells, repeating the whole cycle. As Rangelia vitalli has a preference for attacking blood cells, it is common for the pet to have bleeding as the main symptom of the disease.

What are the symptoms of rangeliosis?

Blood plague in dogs gets its name precisely because the main symptoms of the disease are haemorrhages. The bleeding happens mainly in the dog's ear, nose and oral cavities. This is a consequence of the presence of the protozoan that causes rangeliosis in the blood cells. Veterinarian Amanda lists the main symptoms of blood plague in dogs: "Jaundice,intermittent fever, apathy, anorexia, weakness, dehydration, weight loss, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), lymphadenomegaly (enlarged lymph nodes), small reddish spots on the skin (petechiae). In addition, bleeding along the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in bloody vomiting and bloody diarrhea, andpersistent bleeding." The specialist also says that the clinical manifestations depend on the stage of the disease, and there may be overlap between them.

Rangeliosis: treatment needs to start fast

The treatment of rangeliosis is done with the use of specific medicines to combat this microorganism. "The treatment of canine rangeliosis has been carried out with a therapy based on protozoocidal drugs. Corticoids have also been used ", explains Amanda. Blood transfusion in dogs and fluid therapy may also be necessary, especially in the case of more intense bleeding.

Getting rid of ticks helps prevent blood plague in dogs

Blood plague in dogs is transmitted by the bite of a contaminated tick, so the best way to prevent the disease is to know how to get rid of ticks in the yard and on the animal itself. This care prevents not only rangelia but also other types of tick disease. Amanda explains that preventive measures vary depending on the species of tick. The tick of typeRhipicephalus sanguineus, for example, prefers to climb walls to escape the dampness of the soil: "Thus, the insecticide should be directed to the cracks in walls, furniture, roofs and the like. In addition, there is no need to insecticide the whole house; just concentrate the application of the product where the animal sleeps."

Amblyomma aureolatum, another tick that transmits rangeliosis, is practically impossible to control, since it is native to Brazilian woods and forests and its population is maintained by wild animals. Therefore, Amanda suggests that to avoid them, it is best to direct care to dogs. "Control should be done with the administration of long-acting tickicide, since it isit is necessary to interrupt the life cycle of the tick and prevent the females from laying eggs in the environment. It is very important that the interval between doses is respected, because the ticks that are still in the environment gradually pass to the dog, bite the animal, ingest the medicine and die. If the guardian decides not to administer the tickicide again because he does not see it, he will have to take it.ticks, those that are in the environment will not die and will be able to recolonize the environment ", he concludes.