- posted: Jun. 24, 2020
Our dogs are probably getting tired of us asking them for walks, but outside they still go, and hungry deer ticks are waiting for them. Â Lyme disease can have serious complications for humans and dogs alike, and the ticks that carry the bacteria responsible are very small deer ticks which are easy to miss in a dog's fur. Â A flea and tick preventative is the first line of defense, and protects against more diseases from the multiple ticks we have in our area than the Lyme vaccine does. Â However, if that preventative misses an infectious deer tick, then a Lyme vaccine becomes necessary to protect your pet. Â Like all vaccines, this needs to be injected before exposure. Â
It used to be that the disease was only found in the northeastern United States, but that is not the case anymore. Â As you can see from the map, about 5% of dogs tested in Fairfax County are positive for exposure to Lyme Disease. Â What makes Lyme tricky is that not all dogs show symptoms, and even among those who do, they don't all show the same symptoms. Â Paralysis and arthritis are possible, but so is kidney disease (nephritis). Â Because we are in an area where the ticks that spread the bacteria thrive, prevention is crucial.
Please ask your veterinarian about options to protect your pup. Â There's a lot of months until winter, so the peace of mind of preventatives and a vaccine is a very solid comfort.