Tuesday, August 17, 2010
A Wichita pet owner learned the hard way about a deadly disease carried by ticks. Now, Laurie Vickery wants to warn everyone about the rare condition her German Shepherd “Recon” is fighting.
Recon is a nearly 8-year-old German Shepherd who is trained in search and rescue. Her career was ended by a tick.
“Recon came from a neglectful home, but she’s been a great dog.,” Vickery says. “At six months she went right into training,” she recalls. Recon was pressed into service the night of the Greensburg Tornado.
But this past spring Recon got sick, her local veterinarian treated her as best he could but advised the family to transfer Recon to a Kansas City intensive care animal hospital.
Recon was in critical care there for three days. The dog’s illness: Erlichia. Recon got Erlichia from a tick bite. Recon was on a heavy repellent, but it’s not a guarantee ticks won’t still bite. Treating the disease is costly. So far veterinarian costs have been
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