What is the course of the disease?
An inflamed tick bite is usually an expression of an infection with TBE viruses or borrelia (bacteria). Infection with TBE proceeds in two phases: After about one to two weeks, fever can occur together with other flu-like symptoms. This is followed by a symptom-free phase.
After that, fever with signs of meningitis returns. On the other hand, three stages can be recognized in Lyme disease. In stage I, a wandering redness appears locally at the bite site; fever, headache, aching limbs and itching can also occur.
In the second stage (early spread) nerve damage with pain and loss of function occurs. The heart can also be affected by the infection. Months to years later, the disease progresses to stage III (late spread). Skin changes, joint problems and signs of inflammation of the brain develop. The eyes can be affected in all three stages.
Inflamed tick bite in my dog
Tick bites are not uncommon in dogs, as the animals often live in areas with a high incidence of ticks (forest, meadows with high grass). Therefore dogs should be thoroughly searched for ticks. Even if this is made more difficult by the dense fur of the animals.
If you find a tick in your dog, you should remove it carefully without crushing the tick. The earlier the tick is removed from the skin, the less likely it is that the bite site will become inflamed or that pathogens will be transmitted. The area should then be checked regularly for several weeks.
If there are signs of inflammation, a visit to the vet is recommended. The vet can clarify infections with Borrelia bacteria, for example, and treat them with antibiotics if necessary.
