One of the most well known tick-borne illnesses is Lyme disease and it is a major concern for dog owners.
Lyme Disease, You, and Your Dog
If you own a dog, then you already know about ticks and the diseases these eight-legged arachnids can transmit to you and your furry friend. One of the most well known tick-borne illnesses is Lyme disease and it is a major concern for dog owners.
History and transmission
Lyme disease was discovered more than 100 years ago, but wasn’t a concern until 1975-1976, when a cluster outbreak occurred in the area of Lyme, Connecticut. A number of children were affected and it was first misdiagnosed as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, until the real culprit was discovered.
The disease is caused by a bacterium (not a virus) and occurs naturally in wild animals. Bacteria are transmitted from animal to animal through tick bites and cannot live outside the host (mammal or tick). Tiny deer ticks acquire the Lyme infection from white-footed mice. Once the tick detaches from a mouse, it can reattach to another animal. The deer tick must bite and remain attached to the host for at least 24 to 48 hours in order for transmission of the bacteria to be successful
Deer ticks are found in the Northeast, the upper Mississippi area, California and southern states. They have a four-stage life cycle: egg, larva, nymph, adult. It is the nymph stage that commonly transmits the disease to dogs and humans. Depending on the region, anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of nymphs harbor the Lyme bacteria. Adult deer ticks prefer larger hosts, such as deer, but will also attach to dogs and people. Lyme disease cannot be transmitted between canines and people, so a Lyme-infected dog or person cannot infect other dogs or people.
Symptoms
Some dogs will develop antibodies to the bacteria and never develop clinical symptoms. If a dog does have Lyme disease, it may take weeks or months for the first symptoms to appear. Typically, the first symptom is arthritis and a high fever (>102.5° F). If it is left untreated, Lyme disease can affect a variety of body systems. Symptoms range from fever, loss of appetite, inflamed lymph nodes, inflamed joints leading to lameness, kidney disease, heart disease and neurological disease.
Diagnosis
The most common test performed is known as the Canine Snap 3DX test. It requires a few drops of blood from the dog and tests for antibodies to three different canine diseases: Heartworm, Lyme and Ehrlichia. It only takes 8 to 10 minutes for results to appear, so most tests are done while you and your dog are still at the veterinary hospital. If antibodies to Lyme disease are detected, it means the dog has been exposed to the bacteria.
Treatment and prognosis
Your veterinarian will advise you on the course of treatment, should your dog become infected with Lyme disease. The typical course of treatment consists of antibiotics for 28 days. The antibiotic of choice is Doxycycline. However, some dogs do not tolerate Doxycycline well and can be treated with Amoxicillin.
Once antibiotics have been started, symptoms should start to decline within 2 to 3 days, eventually disappearing altogether. At this point, even though your dog’s symptoms fade and she starts to feel better, it is important to finish the entire course of antibiotics.
Prevention
Dogs affected by Lyme disease do not maintain any natural immunity to the disease after exposure and treatment. Therefore, they can be re-infected. Here are some ways to reduce your dog’s chances of acquiring Lyme disease:
Avoid exposure to ticks as much as possible.
On your property, keep bushes, trees and lawns trimmed back, so the ticks have fewer areas to cluster in.
Thoroughly examine your dog at least once a day (twice a day is preferred) and remove any ticks. Since deer ticks are very small, they are not easily detected. Remember the tick must be attached at least 24 hours in order to transfer the bacteria.
The easiest and quickest way to remove a tick is to part the dog’s hair, grasp the tick around the body and then use firm, steady pressure to extract it. You may want to use a small piece of tissue paper to provide a firmer grip around the tick’s body as you withdraw it. Tweezers may also be helpful in grasping the tick.
Avoid using any solutions or ointments on the tick, to “smother” and kill it. Ticks are very tough. These remedies are not helpful, as they may irritate, burn or injure your dog’s skin in the process of removing the tick.
Use a topical tick preventative such as Frontline, Advantix or Revolution on your dog. While these products do not prevent ticks from getting onto your dog, they will work to kill the tick, or cause it to drop off within 24 to 48 hours.
A Lyme vaccine will help prevent infection only if the dog has not been previously exposed to the bacteria. Since no vaccine is 100-percent effective in preventing disease, there are pros and cons to this issue. Evidence against vaccinating includes: 90 percent of infected dogs will never become ill. The small percentage of exposed dogs (5 to 10 percent) that will become ill can easily be treated with safe, inexpensive antibiotics. Evidence in favor of vaccinating includes: preventing the illness in areas where Lyme disease is prevalent. Vaccination may also reduce the occurrence of the kidney disease side effect of Lyme.
Tick season varies in each region. Ticks are hardy and can thrive even in harsh conditions. In New England, ticks are out for 8 to 9 months of the year. A good rule of thumb is: if there is a solid snow cover on the ground, you and your dog are probably safe. Otherwise, as soon as the snow starts to melt, ticks start to re-emerge.
