Lyme Disease is a tick borne disease that primarily effects people, dogs, and horses. Over the last two decades, we have seen a marked increase in the number of ticks in this area, especially deer ticks. Deer ticks start out about the size of a sesame seed, and usually only become visible after a full blood meal taking 2-5 days. The small size of this tick, makes it extremely difficult to see on your pet and, therefore, a primary source of Lyme Disease. With that said, multiple studies have shown that any tick can carry Lyme Disease.
Lyme Disease in dogs is a slow but deadly disease. Because the initial signs are very mild, most people assume that their dog is just getting old, when in actual fact, the dog is suffering from Lyme Disease. In a recent study that included nearly 500 dogs in Luzerne county, CAPCvet.org concluded that 1 in 4 were found to be positive for Lyme Disease. A positive Lyme test indicates that the dog has been exposed to Lyme disease. The good news for dogs is that we have an effective Lyme Prevention Program. A combination of Lyme vaccination, tick prevention, and prompt removal of ticks, will reduce the odds of your dog getting Lyme Disease to less then 2%. Give us a call at 455-2580 to discuss Lyme Disease and Prevention.