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LYME DISEASE
WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?
Lyme disease is
an illness that can be passed to animals and people through a
bite from the Ixodes tick. The tick must be on the dog for 24
to 48 hours before transmission of the disease occurs. These
ticks are very tiny in the nymph stage which is during spring
and summer. When they are engorged they are about the size of
a small apple seed. Many ticks that we see in our area are
common dog ticks and are not responsible for lyme disease.
SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE
Lyme disease can
present in dogs as fever, anorexia (loss of appetite),
lameness or swelling of joints. However, many other illnesses
present with those symptoms as well. If it is from lyme
disease these symptoms should disappear within a couple of
days with a short course of antibiotics.
Dogs do not usually get the severe illness that people
can get from lyme disease.
LYME
TITERS
There is a test
being widely used to determine lyme disease in dogs. A
positive result on the test
is an indicator of tick exposure. It is not an
indicator of lyme disease. In fact, most dogs who test
positive for lyme never develop the disease, so there is no need to treat them
with antibiotic. Overuse of antibiotics is becoming a very big
problem. Some
people prefer to have their dog tested regardless, and we are
happy to do that if you wish.
LYME VACCINE
The present lyme
vaccine has not proven to be very effective. As example, about
1/3 of the dogs that develop the most severe form of lyme
disease have already been vaccinated. Some experts believe the
vaccination itself may
have contributed to the illness.
So, with the lack of effectiveness and the concern for
adverse effects, we prefer not to vaccinate. We do, however,
have the vaccine and will
be glad to vaccinate at your request.
PREVENTION
The presence of
lyme disease does seem to be on the rise in this area. Each
day, when you pet your dog,
run your fingers through the fur
to check for
ticks . If possible, keep the dog away from piles of
brush and from the wood pile. If you do find a tick, take a
fine tipped tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as
possible, and pull straight up. If you are finding a lot of
ticks we have an herbal tick repellant that you can spray on
your dog. We also carry Frontline which is a chemical that
will kill most ticks that
land on your dog.
However, the use of chemicals is always a trade off,
because regular application may be harmful to both you and
your dog. Please weigh the risks and benefits before using
chemicals, and we will try to help you with this. No matter
what you use, you still have to check daily
when there are ticks in your area. You can’t entirely
depend on any repellant or insecticide. Remember that most
ticks do not carry lyme disease, so try not to panic if you
see them.
If you notice
signs of lameness or fever, call us. We will check for titers
to lyme disease , and probably start him on a short course of
antibiotic. We will also look for other reasons for the symptoms.
Don’t hesitate
to ask us if you have any questions.
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