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The other day I took my cat to the vet. On the way in I saw a sign offering Lyme Disease vaccines for dogs. I had not heard of them before but knowing Lyme Disease is on the rise I thought it was a good idea. In the past, I have found ticks on my dog even though she was on a flea & tick preventive and rarely left our yard. She was an older dog that preferred to stay inside more than outside, yet I did find a few ticks on her occasionally.

Ticks are spreading Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses across the country. Many places are seeing a drastic increase, even epidemic proportions in some locations. But it’s just not people who can get these diseases, so can our pets. Dogs in particularly are susceptible to Lyme Disease and other tick borne-illnesses.

I asked my vet about the Lyme disease vaccine. She said it is effective in protecting your dog from Lyme disease but not other tick-borne illnesses. Not all dogs require a vaccine, your veterinarian will determine if it is necessary depending on the dogs age, environment, health issues, etc.

As with humans, prevention and early diagnosis is important. Left untreated Lyme can cause joint damage, cardiac complications, kidney failure and neurologic damage. Always check your dog and yourself when they come in from outside for ticks. Try to avoid tall grasses and wooded areas if possible. Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illness symptoms to watch for in your dog include:

• Lethargy or Tiredness
• Fever
• Difficulty moving around, Sore Joints
• Loss of Appetite

If you find a tick on your dog. Use tweezers to remove the tick by grasping the tick between its body and the dog’s skin. Pull straight back. Dispose of the tick in a jar of alcohol. Wash the tweezers and your hands. If you think your dog may have Lyme Disease, your veterinarian does have several simple blood tests they can use to diagnosis your dog. These include:

• SNAP 3Dx Test: Screens for heartworm disease, Lyme disease, and ehrlichiosis (another tick-borne disease)
• SNAP 4Dx Test: Screens for heartworm disease, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis (another tick-borne disease)

Cats have less of an issue with ticks and tick-borne illnesses. There has not been a case of Lyme disease or other tick-born disease in cats outside of a laboratory. However, it’s still a good idea to watch for ticks on your cats. First, they could bring the ticks inside and in turn infect you. Secondly, you never know, just because it hasn’t been documented, it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. So as with your dogs, examine your cat's fur for ticks when they come inside. If they start to exhibit any of the symptoms for Lyme contact your veterinarian.

Lyme Disease is something we all have to be concerned about. But you and your pet can still enjoy the outdoors. Protect yourself by taking the necessary precautions and be observant.

Sources:
Vetstreet.com - http://www.vetstreet.com/care/examination-and-lym...
Cornell Feline Health Center - https://www2.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-...
Picture of the vaccine sign was taken at Appleseed Veterinary Hospital, Lexington OH