Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease that is infectious and caused by the bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi. The deer tick is the most common type of tick that carries Lyme disease. This small tick attaches itself to your dog and soon becomes engorged. It is a small sized tick that resembles a grain of pepper and is easily overlooked, especially when covered by your dog’s fur.
Symptoms Your Dog has Lyme Disease
There are a variety of symptoms your dog may exhibit which include lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, swelling of the joints, loss of appetite and a fever. Your dog may also have lameness in his legs which causes him or her to shift from leg to leg in order to stand. At the first sign of these symptoms you should contact the veterinarian to make an appointment immediately.
Preventative Measures
Ticks are tiny creatures that can reap havoc on your dog’s health if they carry Lyme disease. As a dog owner you will want to take measures to prevent these infectious ticks from coming in contact with your dog. While know measure is guaranteed, it is still worth providing. The following are measures you can take to help prevent your dog from contracting Lyme disease from deer ticks.
- Frequent Grooming – Brush and comb through your dog’s coat frequently. Use a fine tooth comb to brush in the opposite direction of the growth of the hair. This exposes your dog’s skin and you can search for tiny black or brown specs located close to his or her skin. If you do find a tick during this process you will want to remove it carefully and keep it in a plastic zip lock bag to bring to the veterinarian for further investigation and testing.
- Limit Exposure – Deer ticks are usually found in wooded areas that have tall grass. If you live near or visit this type of area frequently you will want to avoid it in the future.
- Tick and Flea Preventatives – The veterinarian will happily provide you with a list of flea and tick preventatives that are safe for your dog. These preventatives have the capability of killing a tick before the 48-hour mark that is required to infect your dog.
- Vaccinations – Science and research have recently developed vaccinations for Lyme disease in dogs. You will want to inquire with the veterinarian about this option and if it is available and safe for your dog.
Lyme disease is usually treated and controlled by antibiotics. This treatment is lengthy in order to completely heal your dog. On occasion a few different types of antibiotics are used to effectively fight the disease. Unfortunately your dog can become infected again and have reoccurring sessions with Lyme disease if repeatedly bitten by infected deer ticks. Prevention is important for every dog owner to consider. The preventative measures mentioned above will help lessen the risk of your dog getting Lyme disease as well as protect your dog when they are bitten by an infected deer tick.
Photo credit: Donnie Ray Jones/Flickr
Tags: Borrelia burgdorferi, deer ticks, Lyme Disease, tick prevention, ticks