Canine ehrlichiosis in dogs – signs and spread

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: ESCCAP

Contact a vet today

Contact your vet today if you think your dog has this – it can become serious. It is a serious infection in dogs spread by the brown dog tick.

What to do now

What you can do now

  1. Contact your vet today
  2. Note when it started, how often it happens and what else you see
  3. Take a photo or short video to show your vet
  4. Keep fresh water available
  5. Let your dog rest somewhere calm

Don't

  • Do not give any human medicine
  • Do not wait if it gets worse

What it is and how it spreads

Reported infections in dogs occur in parts of Europe, and the acute phase lasts around 1–3 weeks.[1] During the acute phase, dogs can show apathy, weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, breathing difficulty, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, an enlarged spleen, weight loss and vomiting.[1]

Signs

  • Apathy
  • Weakness
  • Fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Weight loss
  • Nosebleed
  • Bleeding or bruising

How pets pick it up

  • Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
  • Mainly southern Europe

Where in Europe it occurs

CountryOccurrence
FrancePresent
GermanyPresent
ItalyPresent
PortugalPresent
SpainPresent
SwitzerlandPresent
United KingdomPresent

What the experts say

“During the acute phase of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, which lasts around 1–3 weeks, dogs show apathy, weakness, lethargy, anorexia, dyspnoea, fever, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, weight loss and vomiting.”

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

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Common questions

What signs can dogs show?

Signs can include apathy, weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, breathing difficulty, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, an enlarged spleen, weight loss and vomiting.[1]

How long does the acute phase last?

The acute phase lasts around 1–3 weeks.[1]

Where in Europe has it been reported in dogs?

Reported infections in dogs occur in parts of Europe.[1]

Sources

  1. ESCCAP

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages

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