The two-year-old dog became lethargic, thin and listless, deteriorating to the point that it was admitted to a pet hospital for a week for a blood transfusion.
“I was really worried about him,” Ms Powell, an enrolled nurse, said.
Testing confirmed Leo had ehrlichiosis, a disease transmitted through bites from brown dog ticks carrying the Ehrlichia canis bacteria.
But what worried the specialists is that Leo lives in the urban Top End, which some experts fear is becoming a new stronghold for a disease spreading like wildfire.
The first Australian case was detected in the Kimberley region of Western Australia in May last year.
By June, cases were rapidly emerging in Katherine in the Northern Territory and the surrounding remote communities.
The Northern Territory government has recorded 370 confirmed cases — 110 in the Darwin and Arnhem Land region, 149 in the Katherine region, 36 in Tennant Creek and in Alice Springs and surrounds, 75.
Experts say countless more have been left undetected in remote communities with little intervention.
“When we finally got to bring him home, [the vets] said he needs to stay inside, he’s at risk of spontaneous bleeding and he might not make it,” Ms Powell said.
“It was very full-on, very emotional.
“There were tears basically every night.”
Until the first cases were discovered just last year, stringent biosecurity controls had kept ehrlichiosis out of Australia.
Experts are still baffled by how the disease got in but, according to Professor Peter Irwin from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Murdoch University, the disease is now considered “endemic” across the NT.
“Ehrlichiosis is one of the most serious diseases of dogs in my opinion,” he said.
“It makes them very ill, and many dogs can die.
“Once it establishes into a tick population, it’s very difficult to eradicate.”
Common symptoms include lethargy, fever and cloudy eyes, which can be cleared up with antibiotics but, if left untreated, the disease can lead to blindness, uncontrollable bleeding and death.
“The problem with this disease is that dogs travel and spread infected ticks,” Professor Irwin said.
“Dogs that have moved from an endemic area of the community into the city will possibly bring ticks with them, and the ticks can then drop off.
“There have now been dogs with the disease identified in most other capitals, most as a result of travel from the north.”
Doctor Stephen Cutter, the head veterinarian at Darwin’s Ark Animal Hospital, is no stranger to the crippling disease.
He said up to 40 per cent of the dogs are infected in the remote communities of the Top End he visits on rotation.
But in August of last year, he saw his first case in a pet that had not left urban Darwin.
Arielle Giles, a vet at the Darwin Veterinary Hospital, confirmed the disease’s spread to Darwin, saying she had seen six cases in the past three months.
“It’s a devastatingly bad disease and it’s really difficult to treat,” Dr Cutter said.
“It’s basically everywhere and it’s now a matter of living with it.”
Both Professor Irwin and Dr Cutter said keeping ticks at bay is the best way to prevent ehrlichiosis.
“Because the infection is transmitted so quickly from the tick bites, the most important way of protecting your dog is to use a product, such as a collar that kills ticks before they bite,” Professor Irwin said.
It has now been five months since Leo was struck down by the tiny parasite and, while he is still getting regular check-ups and his future is looking brighter, vets can’t give the all-clear.
“Ehrlichiosis is really nasty in that it can stay hidden in the bone marrow for a long period of time,” Dr Cutter said.
Earlier this year, the NT government brought on a new coordinator to transition the NT’s response to the disease from a biosecurity threat to managing the outbreak.
“This disease is a nationally notifiable disease, which means that suspected cases of E.canis need to be reported, and free testing can be carried out on blood samples from suspected dogs,” said the chief vet at the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Dr Sue Fitzpatrick.
“Heartbreaking: Mother Dog with Broken Leg Clings to Her Puppies, Desperately Longing for Compassion and Relief”
“Frida’s Journey of Redemption: From Tragedy to Triumph for a Devoted Mother and Her Nine Puppies”
Frida, a devoted mama dog, embarked on a perilous journey in search of food, only to meet with a tragic car accident. The impact left her front leg broken, causing excruciating pain.
However, Frida’s plight was magnified by the fact that she was not alone—she was caring for nine delicate puppies, merely ten days old, who were battling their own battle against weakness and malnourishment, plagued by anemia.
Faced with such dire circumstances, Frida’s owner attempted to alleviate her suffering by using plants to splint her broken leg. But his efforts proved insufficient, leaving Frida in prolonged agony.
Adding to her misery, a thick rope was tightly bound around her neck, a cruel tether used by her owner to confine her, all while concealing his cruel actions from the watchful eyes of the villagers. Perhaps it was shame that drove him to hide his disgraceful treatment of the faithful creature.
However, as fate would have it, a glimmer of hope emerged for Frida and her nine precious puppies. A group of compassionate rescuers arrived on the scene, extending a helping h and and a caring heart.
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With utmost urgency, they whisked Frida and her offspring away to a veterinary clinic, where their remarkable journey of healing and transformation would begin.
Day after day, under the devoted care of the veterinary team, Frida and her puppies experienced a remarkable turnaround. Their once feeble bodies grew stronger, and their health steadily improved.
The veterinary professionals kept a watchful eye on them, ensuring they received the necessary medical attention and nurturing support.
Gradually, Frida’s broken leg mended, her pain subsiding with each passing day. Liberated from the tight grip of the restraining rope, she regained her freedom and the ability to explore the world around her once more.
As for the puppies, their once listless bodies brimmed with newfound energy and boundless happiness.
Together, Frida and her nine puppies embarked on a journey of redemption and new beginnings. Their hearts, once burdened by hardship and suffering, now overflowed with love and hope.
The resilience displayed by Frida and her offspring was a testament to the indomitable spirit of animals and the transformative power of compassion.
Now, as Frida and her puppies embrace their brighter future, their story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy and the capacity for redemption.
Their tale stands as a beacon of hope, inspiring us all to stand against cruelty and to extend a helping hand to those in need. Through the darkest of times, love and compassion have the power to heal and restore, allowing even the most broken souls to find solace and joy once again.
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