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.
Dedicated Father: Golden Retriever Displays Remarkable Commitment in Caring for His Pregnant Mate.
For dads, do you recall how you took care of your wife while she was pregnant?
Of course, you do. You could have recalled those moments when you conducted errands while being the only one who was in charge of the house and all the chores. Well, you’re not alone.
While some spouses will say that they weren’t as lucky, they can always display this viral film of how a golden retriever took care of his mate while in delivery.
These Goldens went viral. At first, they were seen sleeping next each other. Then, the instant the wife woke up, the dog rushed for the AC switch and upped the temperature.
Next, he snatches a tiny basin with his mouth and trots to the kitchen. He set the basin down in the sink and stretched his paw to turn on the faucet. He then gladly marched to his mate, quite happy with himself.
Once she finished her drink, he went to retrieve her leash. As a pregnant dog, exercise is still vital so she may keep fit. But instead of their owner taking both of them to the park, the dog chewed on the leash and joined his mate.
This provided the daddy dog an opportunity to conduct other errands. Throughout this section of the day, he went into the kitchen to assist prepare his mate’s dinner.
Chicken, fish, shrimp, and some veggies seem excellent. Daddy dog assisted his human with cleaning. He even took out the garbage.
He’s even a gentleman during dinner. He could be incredibly hungry with all his effort, but he lets his mate get her fill first. After all, she’s also eating for their pups.
Later, when he invited her for a post-dinner run, something occurred. His wife urged to remain home.
Then, the labor began. As their fur parents sensed what was about to happen, they swiftly prepared up a nest for her. What was a room only for the two of them became a home for a loving family.
One by one, the puppies emerged from their mother. The owners cleaned them well before leaving them to breastfeed on their mother.
All the while, they were feeding her readily digested meals to aid her through the procedure.
The adorable retriever eventually became daddy. They ended up with seven healthy pups. They all have their unique colorful collars that nearly resemble a rainbow.
And just like that, the daddy dog is on the chores again. But this time, he wasn’t simply taking care of one dog. He’s watching over his mate and their children.
With the reliability that this “goodest” youngster displayed, though, we know they’ll be okay.
See this doting golden retriever take care of his complete family in the video below!
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