Protect four-legged friend from tick-born Lyme disease

When I recently read a survey that indicated that a majority of pet parents don’t know how to protect their dogs from Lyme disease infections, I was alarmed. While it’s true that most Lyme disease cases are found in Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, north central and West Coast states, Lyme disease is found in more states every year.

Since we’re moving into active tick season, here’s what I think you should know about canine Lyme disease to protect your dog’s health.

Lyme disease is just one of several diseases carried by ticks. Reports compiled from diagnostic laboratories show dogs in all 50 states have tested positive for the bacterial infection that leads to Lyme disease, although certain areas are more likely to harbor bacteria-carrying ticks than others.

(You can find a map showing reported Lyme-positive cases at www.idexx.com/animalhealth/testkits/3dx.)

You can help protect your best friend by:

• Using a tick-control product during active tick season.

• Performing routine tick searches on your dog when returning from outdoors.

• Knowing how to properly remove an attached tick.

• Asking your veterinarian about vaccinating your dog against Lyme disease infection.

• Knowing the signs of Lyme disease.

Black-legged ticks (also called deer ticks) and Western black-legged ticks carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and may be as small as a grain of sand, which helps them easily escape detection on your dog. The good news is Lyme disease bacteria aren’t transferred from an infected tick to your pet right away; an infected tick must feed for 24 to 48 hours before bacteria are passed along to your pet – or to you.

If you find and remove a tick the same day it bites your dog, or you use a tick-control product that repels or kills ticks before they feed for 24 hours (use products available from your veterinarian such as K9 Advantix and Frontline Plus), there’s an excellent chance your dog will not become infected.

Ticks can carry more diseases than just Lyme disease, so tick control is important.

If you see or feel a tick, ask your veterinarian how to properly remove it.

Don’t try to remove an attached tick with your fingers, a hot match, nail polish or petroleum jelly! Use fine-point tweezers to grasp the tick firmly and as closely to the skin as possible.

Then pull slowly and steadily until the tick lets go. If the tick’s mouth parts remain in the skin, don’t panic.

Clean the site with an antiseptic. Be careful not to let fluids from the tick get on your own skin.

Most infected dogs never show signs of Lyme disease, according to the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University in New York. Where Lyme disease is common, more than 50 percent of dogs may be infected with bacteria that cause the disease, but only 5 to 10 percent of infected dogs show signs.

The initial signs of Lyme disease may not be obvious and may not appear until long after a tick bite.

Every pet parent should be aware of these signs of canine Lyme disease: recurring arthritis or lameness that lasts three to four days with loss of appetite and depression; reluctance to move; stiff, painful movement; swollen joints that are warm to the touch; pain in the legs or throughout the body; fever; fatigue; and swollen lymph nodes.

If your dog shows any of these signs, call your veterinarian. Most cases of canine Lyme disease are diagnosed in late spring and fall.

“We’re seeing more reported cases in nearly every part of the country,” says David Weld, executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation. “Since the Center for Disease Control estimates only 10 to 20 percent of all Lyme disease cases are reported, we are clearly facing a long-term serious health issue for both people and dogs.

“Dogs are at much greater risk for Lyme disease than are people living in the same area,” Weld adds, “and the ratio of unreported to reported cases in dogs could be even higher than in people.”

Consider having your dog tested for Lyme disease every year if you live in an area with black-legged and Western black-legged ticks. Your veterinarian can perform a simple blood test recently developed by IDEXX that tests dogs simultaneously for heartworm disease, Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis, another tick-transmitted disease that’s on the rise.

If your dog tests positive, you and your veterinarian can monitor for signs of disease, or your veterinarian may recommend an antibiotic to treat the infection.

Left unmanaged, a subclinical Lyme disease infection can develop into chronic disease. And if your dog ever needs corticosteroid treatment, a Lyme disease infection can become very serious.

This spring and summer, enjoy outdoor activities with your dogs, knowing you can protect him from the threat of Lyme disease. Preventing tick bites, knowing what to watch for and routine testing are the keys to protecting your dog’s health.