A potentially deadly tick-borne disease that attacks a dog's immune system is now "endemic" across northern Australia.

The rapid spread of canine ehrlichiosis since it was first detected in Australia in 2020 "has left a lot of destruction in its wake", veterinarian Liisa Ahlstrom said.

"It's endemic, which means we're never getting rid of it," Dr Ahlstrom said.

"A lot of dogs have died from this disease … it's well and truly established across northern Australia."

Deceptive symptoms

Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial disease transmitted quickly when an infected brown dog tick bites a dog.

The disease presents in three phases, and Dr Ahlstrom said in the first stage symptoms could appear around two weeks after infection.

Symptoms include fever, cloudy eyes, lethargy, enlarged lymph nodes,

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