EDITORS NOTE: A few days ago, KWTN received this letter addressed to the `Critters in Paradise' page from Robin Sanger of Sugarloaf Key:
"This letter is in memory of Brandy, my devoted friend and companion.
"Brandy became our friend and picked us to live with her before we knew she needed a home. In September of 1986, she was just over one-year-old and I was told she was headed to the pound. I gladly gave her a home. She was a beautiful Shepherd-Husky mixed-breed who led a very happy and healthy life for 14 years. She made friends with everyone she met and she loved to make people happy.
"Brandy was robbed of her senior years by this tick disease (Ehrlichiosis) that I never knew existed. She received regular veterinary care, but it was too late by the time it was diagnosed. She had seen more than one veterinarian here in the Keys over the years, but Ehrlichiosis was never mentioned.
"I'd like to spread the word about Ehrilichiosis to as many dog owners as I can, in the hope of saving other dogs' lives. I would have had her tested regularly for this disease if I had known about it."
The disease that killed Robin's dog Brandy-- Canine Ehrlichiosis-- is spread through tick infestation. There is a incubation period of eight days to a year before symptoms become apparent.
Common symptoms include lethargy, loss of interest in food, and gradual loss of body condition, especially around the face and spine, fever, lumpth node enlargement, and discharge from the eyes and nose. Nose bleeds, skin hemmorrhages, coughing, diarrhea, and seizures can also occur.
A tentative diagnosis can be made by a blood count that shows anemia and a low platelet count-- the IFA (Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Assay) Test. This test is considered the most reliable test for detecting infection. Another test is the Glemsa Smear-- used to locate the actual organism in the blood.
A tetracycline antibiotic is given from 10 days to three weeks depending upon the severity of the disease. About 90-percent of dogs will respond to traditional treatment of tick diseases. Repeat blood samples are necessary when the antibiotics are finished to evaluate the healing progress.
Ehrlichiosis is commonly misdiagnosed as reticulosis, systemic lupus erthematosus, brucellosis, blastomycosis, thrombocytopenia, endocarditis, immune mediated disease, myelophthisis, cancer of spleen or liver, Valley Fever, plasma cell myeloma, and leukemia.
The only prevention of this disease is for your dog to avoid all tick exposure. There is no immunity to this disease. If your dog becomes infested with ticks, he can become ill again.
To help keep your dog tick-free, the following items are recommended: Prescription collars with amitraz; `Frontline,' a topical spray, waterproof, and long lasting; and spraying your yard and house with a tick-kill spray.
Since the Keys are home to ticks year-round, stringent care is needed to keep your best friend healthy.
For further information, call your veterinarian.
Both Sherlock and Jasper sat for their formal portraits for photographer and Key West Kritter Patrol volunteer Roy Stone recently, in the hopes that this would help them find good homes.
Sherlock, left, is about three years old. He has been at the shelter for some time now, and really needs a permanent home. "I think he's the brightest dog at the Shelter," said Roy. "And he's so good with kids and other dogs. He's one of my favorites."
Then there's Jasper. A four-month old Golden Retriever with papers, Jasper is a healthy male puppy and, as is the case with many purebreds, a bit temperamental. "Jasper just needs someone with some patience and a knack for training and communicating with dogs," said Roy. "He's a beautiful dog with a big heart."
Both these healthy, good dogs and many others are available for adoption at the Shelter on Stock Island for only $20.
Thanks to the Key West Kritter Patrol, the organization of volunteers who work with the animals at the Stock Island Shelter, adult dogs and cats can be adopted at very reasonable prices: $10 for an adult cat, $20 for an adult dog. The KW Kritter Patrol pays the fees for all spay/neutering and rabies shots to bring down the price of adoptions.
There are also lots of cats and kittens that need good homes. So come on out to the Shelter: M-F, 9-6, and Saturday, 9-2. Or call the Shelter at 294-4857. You'll be glad you did.