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Beware... if you are going to travel with your dogs around Australia, you should be aware of a fairly recent problem that has arisen across the whole of northern Australia. This is a deadly and often fatal bacterial disease in dogs that is carried by infected brown ticks. The brown tick is very widely distributed throughout Australia.

Dogs that are bitten by infected ticks exhibit a range of symptoms, from fever to bleeding from the nose, that if left untreated can lead to death. It is recommended that you look at and read the information on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry webpage titled ‘Ehrlichosis in Dogs'  which gives a very good run down on the condition and its current spread throughout Australia. 

With increasingly hot conditions, the disease is spreading rapidly southwards in both WA and QLD and is considered endemic throughout the NT.

Dogs should be treated for ticks, preferably both internally and definitely with tick repellent collars or treatments. Seresto collars are recommended. Once a dog has been bitten by an infected tick, the disease can start to develop within hours. There is no dog to dog transmission.

While not yet in the southern portions of Australia, at the rate this is spreading, we should all be aware of this disease and try to minimise its further spread and it affecting our dogs. Avoid bushy areas; parks with short grass are safest for dogs.

Members are encouraged to please share this message on Social media and relevant Facebook Pages where possible.