When ticks feed on an animal infected with Ehrlichia, they also become infected. Ehrlichia can remain alive in the tick for up to 5 or 6 months before being passed on to another host.

When an infected tick bites a dog, it immediately begins injecting its saliva into the dog’s skin. This saliva not only has an anesthetic effect (which allows the tick to bite without its host noticing), it also contains a cement-like material to keep the tick stuck to the skin AND an anticoagulant to keep the dog’s blood from clotting so the tick can continue to feed for days. All this is very bad news for the dog, since it only takes 3-6 hours for the Ehrlichia to be transmitted through the tick’s saliva into the dog’s bloodstream. Sadly, it only takes a single bite for a dog to become infected

Once in the bloodstream, the organism begins to multiply and spread. From there, it can take between 8 and 20 days for the dog to show the first signs of Tick Fever.