Tick fever is one of the most common summer illnesses in dogs here, and warm humid weather is exactly what the brown dog tick likes. It is also the illness people notice too late, because the early signs look like "my dog is just tired in this heat".
What to actually watch for:
- Fever, sometimes as high as 105°F
- Lethargy and going off food
- Pale gums
- Swollen lymph nodes, or joints that look puffy
- Bruising, nosebleeds, or blood spots on the gums when the platelet count drops
It is treatable and it also kills dogs, so the gap between "noticed on day one" and "noticed on day six" is the whole thing.
Two questions for anyone who has been through it:
- What made you take your dog in -- what was the first sign you actually noticed?
- What did the diagnosis and the course of treatment cost you, and in which city?
Prices vary wildly and people are quoted very different numbers for the same thing.