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LYME DISEASE Lyme disease is a health risk for both you and your dog. DVS diagnosed 115 cases of tickborne diseases (lyme, anaplasmosis & ehrlichiosis) in 2009. Where does Lyme disease come from? Certain tick species carry and transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The culprits in North America are the black-legged or deer tick and the western black legged tick. Both are smaller than the other ticks found on pets in the United States.To get a blood meal, a tick climbs onto low-growing vegetation and uses its forelegs to sense a host animal and grab onto it. If it is an infected host, such as a white-footed mouse, the tick ingests the bacteria in a blood meal and becomes an infective carrier without getting sick itself.The tick can retain the infection throughout its life cycle and give it to subsequent hosts, such as you and your dog.Clinical sign and diagnosis. Lyme disease affects animals differently, with some showing no clinical signs at all. In dogs, many cases start with limping, lymph node swelling and fever. Other signs include loss of appetite, painful joints and lethargy. Dogs may not show signs for two to five months post-infection. There are several ways of testing for Lyme disease. The most common is a simple blood test that can be done right at Dodgeville Veterinary Service, with the results in 15-20 minutes.At Dodgeville Veterinary Service we diagnosed 76 cases of Lyme disease for the year of 2008 and 25 already for 2009.The threat to humans. According to the CDC, about 20,000 human cases of Lyme disease are reported in the United States annually. Typically, the first symptom is an expanding circular rash at the site of a tick bite three to 30 days after the bite. Patients also experience fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle aches, joint aches and swollen lymph nodes. Most cases of human Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, if started early.There is no evidence that dogs can spread the disease directly to their owners. However, they can bring infected ticks into the home or yard.Know your risk factors. All dogs are at risk of contracting Lyme disease. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, your dog is at an increased risk. Ask us about vaccination, tick control and testing.Does your dog spend time in wooded areas or low-growing grasslands? Is your dog outdoors during peak tick season? Does your dog live in or visit Lyme-endemic areas of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic or upper Midwest?Lyme Disease is a multi-system disorder cased by the spirochete bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by ticks. It’s the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in the U.S. human population, according to the Centers for Disease control (CDC). Lyme positive dogs have been found in all 48 the contiguous United States.How to prevent Lyme disease.To protect your dog: Vaccinate annually against Lyme Disease, apply a topical tick control product monthly, brush dogs frequently during tick season and conduct thorough tick checks. If you find a tick attached: remove it promptly without crushing, disinfect the bite site and tweezers.To protect yourself: Avoid heavily wooded areas during tick season, wear light-colored clothing to help you see and remove ticks before they attach, wear a long-sleeved shirt tucked into long pants tucked into socks, use EPA-approved tick repellents, and conduct frequent, full-body tick checks.Visit www.LymePrevention.com
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