Dogs can get Lyme Disease too. . . .

Health Issues - Lyme Disease

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It is interesting to note that Lyme Disease has become the most common tick-borne disease in North America and has become a significant threat to public health. Not only can you get Lyme Disease; your dog can also become infected by being bitten by an infected tick. Ticks live in the grass and weeds your dog may run through on family outings, daily walks, or during regular daily activities.

First discovered in humans in 1975 and later reported in dogs in 1984, Lyme Disease, or Borreliosis, continues to sweep across the country, affecting more victims each year. This disease is caused by the transmission of a spirochete (bacteria-like organism) known as Borrelia burgdorferi. Carriers of these bacteria are certain species of ticks, small parasites that live off the blood of other creatures. The deer tick is the most common species of tick to carry Lyme Disease. When an infected tick bites, the bacteria causing Lyme Disease is then transferred into the host's blood.

Lyme Disease is prevalent in North America and may exist in any region where Borrelia burgdorferi infected ticks live. To keep your pets and yourself safe, you should be wary of any tick you find attached to either yourself or your dog. Studies have shown that migratory birds have helped transport the infected ticks, contributing to the spread of this disease. In addition, dogs and other animals that go into infested areas have the potential for carrying the infected ticks back into their own habitat. If you travel during the warm summer months and plan to take your dog with you, exercise caution in secluded or heavily wooded areas. These are natural environments for ticks and the Lyme Disease bacteria.

The signs of Lyme Disease are similar in both dogs and humans. Signs in dogs are not as obvious as in human Lyme disease. Once infected, your dog may experience arthritis, sudden pain or lameness, fever, loss of energy, loss of appetite, and depression. To properly diagnose Lyme Disease, blood tests may be performed to search for the disease fighting proteins known as antibodies after the symptoms of Lyme Disease have been observed.

Broad spectrum antibiotics are used to treat Lyme Disease in dogs. Pets need to be on medication for a month (sometimes longer) and may experience a relapse. Vaccines available through your veterinarian have been developed after years of careful testing for both effectiveness and safety. While no vaccine is ever 100% effective, the canine Lyme Disease vaccine has proven in studies to be fairly effective. Vaccination is recommended for pets that are taken hunting, camping, or for pets that live in areas where Lyme Disease is known to exist. Following an initial series of two vaccines given four weeks apart, your pet should then receive an annual booster vaccine.


(***Admin's note: I am still a bit wary about Lyme Vaccines since the Human Vaccines which were developed many years back, were NOT successful and had many problems. I'd like to hope that the Vaccines developed for dogs are safer but I honestly don't have any research available on this right now.)

The tick life cycle determines when the disease is transmitted. Both the nymph stage and the adult stage of the tick can transmit the disease. The small nymph stage (of the deer tick) feeds on dogs, deer and humans during late spring and early summer. The nymphs are extremely small (about the size of a poppy seed) and very difficult to see in your pet's fur. In the fall, the nymphs transform into adults and feed on larger mammals, such as the white-tailed deer. They mate, lay eggs, then die.

In most parts of the United States, the potential for exposure to ticks is moderate to high from April to November, but the risk of Lyme Disease a dog or other pet faces varies by season and the area of the country you live in. The best course of action to protect both your dog and yourself from ticks and the potential of Lyme Disease is precaution. Your veterinarian can recommend products, such as Frontline Plus or Advantix, that will kill and repel ticks. In addition, using a long lasting yard spray in the doghouse and under bushes will kill both tick eggs and larvae. In areas with no winter freeze to kill ticks, treating with a yard spray will probably need to be done twice a year.


To further protect your pet, consider the following precautions:

Check your dog after being outside, especially in grassy or brushy areas. Brush your dog after each outing. If a tick is attached to the dog's skin, remove it carefully with tweezers, washing the affected bite area and your hands afterward. Use baths, dips, and flea/tick collars as recommended. Keep the grass and brush cut where your dog plays. Discuss vaccination against Lyme Disease with your veterinarian. (**Admin note: Again, I think more research needs to be done about these Vaccines, so proceed with caution. . .)

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Improved Lyme Test (IDEXX Snap® 4Dx Test) Showing Higher Incidence of Lyme Disease Exposure

With the use of the Snap® test, a routine heartworm test also tests for Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis. The incidence of Lyme Disease exposure is much higher than previously thought.

Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite transmitted from dog to dog by mosquitoes. Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis are caused by bacteria, and Ehrlichiosis is caused by a parasite, both of which can be transmitted by tick bites. All three diseases occur world wide including this area.

Clinical Signs of Lyme Disease:

• Fever of unknown origin
• Lethargy
• Not eating
• Depression
• Joint pain
• Intermittent lameness