Vaccine Spotlight: Lyme Disease

Many people are familiar with Lyme disease in people, but did you know your pet is at risk too? Just like in people, dogs can become infected with Lyme disease if a deer tick is attached. A good rule to remember is that the tick has to be attached for 48 hours in order to transmit the bacteria. A great article regarding transmission can be found here.

 

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The culprit of this condition is actually a bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi). This is good news because as a bacteria it can be treated with antibiotics. Many patients that are symptomatic will start to improve after 48 hours of antibiotics. So what symptoms will we see? Unlike humans, we typically do not see a bulls eye rash on our patients. What we may notice is progressing joint pain or long term there can actually be some signs of kidney disease. Sometimes identifying Lyme disease as the inciting cause for these conditions can be difficult. This is because many of the tests we run will show up positive if the pet is exposed to Lyme but is not actually infected or affected by it. There is definitely some controversy in the veterinary field about whether or not to treat Lyme positive patients that are not symptomatic. Decisions really need to be made on a case by case basis with your veterinarian. More information about the presenting signs can be found here.

 

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Another controversial topic surrounding Lyme disease in dogs is whether or not to vaccinate. Many feel that the vaccine is of benefit to animals that have never been exposed but may be traveling to areas where it is endemic (generally the northeast portion of our country). While others feel that since the condition can be treated with antibiotics and the majority of pets will not have long term effects (again unlike humans) the vaccine is not necessary. Creating a specialized plan for your pet should be done with your veterinarian.

 

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One thing most of us can agree on is that prevention is extremely important, and typically easy to do! There are many products out there that offer tick protection. Be sure you work with your veterinarian to find the one with the best defense for you pet. Additional information on Lyme disease can be found at the ASPCA’s website here.