Tularemia in Dogs

Tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” is a potentially serious disease that can affect both pets and people. Although this disease is primarily found in wildlife, people and their pets can become infected through interactions with wildlife and the natural environment. 

Read on to learn more about the potential impacts of canine tularemia, including how to prevent and treat this condition.  

What Is Tularemia?

Tularemia is a bacterial infection caused by Francisella tularensis. As the name rabbit fever suggests, tularemia is most common in rabbits. However, it can also affect other species, including rodents, livestock, cats, dogs, and even humans. 

Tularemia has been reported in every U.S. state except for Hawaii. It is also found in Canada, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. 

How Do Dogs Get Tularemia?

There are several ways that a dog can become infected with tularemia: 

• Eating an infected rabbit or rodent
• Bite or scratch from an infected animal  
• Bite from blood-sucking pests (e.g., fleas, ticks, biting flies)

According to a study of 88 cases of rabbit fever in dogs, 60 percent of infected dogs had known contact with a wild rabbit or rodent (1). Contact with infected wildlife is the most common source of tularemia in dogs. 

The incubation period for tularemia in dogs is approximately 3–5 days. This means that symptoms of dog tularemia typically become apparent 3–5 days after exposure to the disease. 

Tularemia Symptoms in Dogs

Many cases of tularemia in dogs are mild and self-limiting. These dogs show few, if any, signs of infection and may clear the infection without their owners even realizing that they are sick.  

Other dogs show significant signs of illness when infected with tularemia. The most common signs in dogs are fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. However, Francisella tularensis can travel to many different parts of the body, leading to a variety of other symptoms. 

Rabbit fever symptoms in dogs may include: 

• Fever
• Lethargy 
• Decreased appetite
• Enlarged/swollen lymph nodes
• Draining skin wounds
• Dehydration
• Increased salivation (drooling)
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Conjunctivitis (pinkeye)
• Discharge from eyes
• Nasal discharge
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Oral ulcers

If your dog is showing any signs of tularemia, seek veterinary care. 

Diagnosis

Your veterinarian will begin by performing a thorough physical examination. They will examine your dog closely, assessing their body temperature, heart/lung sounds, abdomen, musculoskeletal system, and skin. During this examination, your veterinarian will look for signs that may suggest the possibility of tularemia, as well as other illnesses that might explain your dog’s signs of illness.

Screening blood tests are often recommended. Although tularemia cannot be definitively diagnosed without specific diagnostic testing, screening blood tests can suggest whether tularemia is likely and support the need for further testing. Common blood test abnormalities in infected dogs include increased or decreased white blood cell counts and increased liver values. 

Tularemia is often diagnosed with blood antibody tests. A high tularemia antibody level indicates that your dog has been exposed to Francisella tularensis. To distinguish active infection from previous exposure, your veterinarian may recommend multiple antibody tests to determine whether your dog’s antibody levels are increasing. Tularemia can also be diagnosed with PCR testing, which looks for small amounts of Francisella tularensis DNA in a dog’s blood or tissues. Your veterinarian will determine the best test for your dog.

Tularemia in Dogs Treatment

Tularemia is a bacterial infection, and it can be treated with several different antibiotics. Dogs are typically treated with doxycycline or enrofloxacin, but other antibiotic options are available. Antibiotics are generally continued for 10–14 days. 

Patients who are vomiting or dehydrated may need to be hospitalized. This allows your veterinarian to administer intravenous (IV) fluids, injectable antibiotics, and injectable anti-nausea medications. 

If your dog has draining wounds caused by tularemia, surgical removal may be recommended. This is often more effective than antibiotic treatment alone. 

Fortunately, the prognosis for tularemia in dogs is good. In a study of 88 dogs, less than half of infected dogs required hospitalization and all infected dogs survived treatment (1). 

Tularemia is a serious zoonotic infection. Your dog can spread this infection to humans. Some veterinarians recommend hospitalization for all patients, to reduce the risk of dogs spreading tularemia to human family members. 

When treating your pet at home, limit close contact with your dog and their secretions. Avoid letting your dog lick you, especially on the face. Wear gloves if you need to clean up urine, feces, or vomit. Finally, wash your hands after handling your dog. These steps can help reduce the likelihood of you becoming infected with tularemia.

Prevention

Reduce your dog’s risk by limiting interactions with wild animals. Don’t allow your dog to roam; instead, keep them in a fenced yard and walk them on a leash. These steps can keep your dog from hunting small animals and decrease their risk of being bitten or scratched by wildlife. 

Use veterinarian-recommended flea and tick control year-round. Certain blood-sucking pests, such as fleas, ticks, and biting flies, can spread tularemia by biting your dog. Effective parasite preventatives can reduce your dog’s risk of infection. 

Finally, take measures to help prevent tularemia from entering your home via other pets. Tularemia is more common in cats than dogs, and an infected cat can spread tularemia to your dog. Keep your cat indoors to minimize wildlife interactions and ensure that your cat receives year-round parasite control. 

Reference

1. Kwit, Natalie A et al. “Francisella tularensis infection in dogs: 88 cases (2014-2016).” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association vol. 256,2 (2020): 220-225. doi:10.2460/javma.256.2.220