Tick-borne encephalitis in dogs – signs

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. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an infection caused by a virus that dogs can get through bites from Ixodes ricinus ticks.

What to do now

What you can do now

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

Don't

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

What it is and how it spreads

TBE is an infection caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus and spread to dogs by Ixodes ricinus ticks. It occurs across central, eastern and northern Europe.[1] Dogs are accidental hosts and seem to be much more resistant to clinical disease than humans.[1]

Signs

  • Fever
  • Apathy or low energy
  • Weakness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Seizures
  • Partial paralysis
  • Stupor

How pets pick it up

  • Ixodes ricinus tick bites

Where in Europe it occurs

CountryOccurrence
AustriaPresent
CzechiaPresent
FrancePresent
GermanyPresent
ItalyPresent
NorwayPresent
SwedenPresent
SwitzerlandPresent

What the experts say

“European tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) Austria, Czech Republic, France (eastern), Germany, Greece, Italy (northeastern), Norway, Sweden, Switzerland”

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.

Get it on Google Play

OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.

Common questions

Can people get tick-borne encephalitis?

Yes. TBE is zoonotic, so people can be infected too.

Where in Europe does TBE occur?

It occurs across central, eastern and northern Europe.[1]

Are dogs often affected by clinical disease?

Dogs seem to be much more resistant to clinical disease than humans.[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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