Ticks are making the news across the U.S. as resident populations bloom and areas experience new tick species migrating into a region for the first time. A large percentage of vector-borne diseases reported are vectored by ticks, with dogs acting as sentinels for human exposure to concerning bacterial, protozoal and viral agents.
In this article, Doctors Schlemmer and Gardner share what veterinary teams face when diagnosing tick-borne diseases. They explain there are many diagnostic methods available to detect pathogens, but interpreting results is often complex as no individual point-of-care test is effective at confirming infection. Diagnoses are additionally compounded by variations in individual pets and breeds.
Source: Todays’ Veterinary Practice, January/February 2025. Link.
INSIGHTS: Veterinary teams need to review content like this to stay abreast of diagnostics processes. Given the challenge of interpreting results, teams need to be prepared to discuss the testing issues with clients as well. Consider developing consistent dialogue in a team meeting to ensure clients receive consistent answers from all team members.
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