Lyme Disease in Dogs

Oh boy, the weather has been lovely and spring it seems has finally arrived. I know the first day of spring was sometime back but the weather has really been nice as of late. With the warm weather comes some issues that could be dangerous to the ones we love. Our four legged family members are in danger of Lyme disease when warm weather arrives. Perhaps it is time that I share some information regarding this dangerous and often common disease.

• Lyme disease (LD) is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete (pronounced spy-ro-keet) that is carried by deer ticks(Click here for pictures of deer ticks). An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to the humans and animals it bites.

Lyme disease in dogs is often on the rise during spring months. While it can take several months for symptoms to appear Lyme disease does have some characteristic symptoms that include:

• Fever
• Lethargy
• Stiff, painful joints (limping, walking with an arched back, etc.)
• Sensitivity to touch
• Loss of appetite

There are a few things that you can do to reduce the chances of your dog contacting Lyme disease. While ticks can be as close as your backyard there are a few things you can do to protect your pet.

• having your pet on a monthly tick prevention medication that is available at your vets office will help to protect your dog
• check your pet often for ticks. If you find any remove them by using tweezers and pulling it out by the head. 
• Keep weeds and grasses cut short and make sure there are no piles of leaves, wood or other debris near your home to make the area you live not only nicer but less desirable for ticks and other pests
• keep your dog away from live or dead wildlife
• consider the Lyme disease vaccine available at your vet

Enjoy warm weather season even more knowing your pet is protected

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