This past Saturday, I let our energetic, seemingly totally healthy, one year old black mouth cur dog outside as I was doing some computer browsing before I left the house. This was at our home in Inez Texas, Victoria County. After about forty minutes, I went outside and called him as he was usually at the front of our property and would come sprinting the 3.5 acres to me. He didn't come, so I moved out further in the yard where I could see up front better. I turned toward the smaller area behind our house and I saw him laying down in the grass. I called and walked towards him and to my shock, he was dead.

He was still warm but totally dead with a slight tongue protruding from his mouth, eyes open. He wasn't curled up like when he slept but just lying like he fell over coming toward the house. No sign of vomit, bullet holes, poop. stomach distension or thrashing of his body. It was like he just fell over dead. No apparent snake bite as in swelling on legs or face/head. No mushrooms, electric wires, or poisonous chemicals anywhere. No antifreeze leakage or spills.

We have had multiple copperhead bites on dogs over the years but always swelling and some benadryl down the throat always knocked the swelling out quickly even on small dogs. This guy weighed in the 60 lb area. He had just been to the vet two weeks before fore checkup and flea and tick treatment.

Went back to the vet after his death and she said she is seeing more and more dogs with Chagas Disease (American Trypanosomiasis). She said up to 30 percent of adopted dogs which he was, even from well-kept rescue centers are infected. This parasite is spread by the Mexican Kissing Bug that resembles what we used to call stink bugs. We notice in the last week or so, our dog, Crockett had a little sting looking bump on his nose and slight whiting of the nose. We thought nothing of it. The bugs come out at night by lights and get into walls and even houses. They bite on the lips or nose, thus called kissing bugs, and then spread their infected feces in the bite. It then enters the bloodstream.

This disease is endemic in South and Central America and has worked up through Mexico to the southern US. There are three phases:

Acute phase- where some dogs show no signs while others have enlarged lymph nodes, pale gums and decreased appetite. Sudden death can occur during this phase.
Latent phase- typically asymptomatic for one to four months.
Chronic phase- Inflammation and fibrosis of the heart leading to myocardial dysfunction, heart failure and death.

Unfortunately, there is no consensus for treating Chagas in dogs. Avoiding the insects, early detection are the most effective ways of avoiding canine death.

Just posted this because so many people here have hunting, tracking and pet dogs that could face this spreading threat. Mine was an inside dog but he spent a lot of time outside via a doggy door or us just letting him run around the pasture. We adopted him in July after my beloved Olde English Bull Dogge died from old age in April and I hate that he died so unexpectedly. He was a super energetic loving dog to the very end and showed not one clue of any illness prior to his death.

Wow! Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing the information.

I know of a couple members on THF that have lost a few dogs to Chagas. I’ve seen the bugs around my yard also.

I lost an older Cocker to Chagas about 5 years ago. We have the bugs around the house and barn. I make it a point to spray every 90 days. It works.

Frio

Sorry to hear this. Prayers Up.

So sorry to read this I had not even heard of this and looked it up. I will be looking for these bugs now.

Found this from the aggies
https://kissingbug.tamu.edu/

Are these bugs in west Texas?

Wow, never heard of this before. I'm sorry for your loss and thank you for spreading the information!

I had forgotten about this disease. Potential vectors inhabit half the nation. It is not easy to treat in dogs or humans. Sorry for the shock you had, losing your friend so suddenly.

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/chagas/gen_info/vectors/index.html

I lost a whole litter of puppies to these bugs. I didn't take them seriously until that day.

I have lost puppies to chagas in Menard County and have a lot of buddies down south who have more problems than I do.
Adios,
Gary

Sorry for your loss.

Yep. Aransas County here and they were all over the place.

Sorry for your loss!!!
Thanks for your input!!!!!!!!

They were talking about this the other day on the radio. I thought just the kissing bug carried this, but they said what we call “blood suckers” do as well. I’ve been seeing alot more of these 2 bugs around my house.

Thank You for that information, I had never heard of it before.

And very sorry to hear of this loss, right on the heels of the previous loss.

Not an easy thing to go through. But thank you for trying to give him a good life (adoption). My hat is off to you.

I'm not sure if this is true, but I've heard there is a Chagas "hot spot" in Bandera County.

Thanks to everyone for their condolences about my dog. I was out of phone range for several days and couldn't reply before now. I didn't know about this disease and learned the hard way. By the way, this disease is very widespread among HUMANS in south and central America so be careful!

Thanx for the info. Sorry for your loss. I hadn't heard of this before now.

That is terrible I am sorry for the loss. I was aware of chagas but don't think much of it since I live so far north now. This is a good reminder as I will have my dogs at our lease in Terrell county over spring break. I will make sure we bring some poison...