Tick Borne Diseases (4)

My last three entries have been related to zoonotic disease. In this entry, I want to discuss Lyme disease, the last of the four major diseases that can be spread from animal to man with the tick as the vector.

Lyme disease, also known as borreliosis, is transmitted to animals by the common deer tick on the east coast of the United States, and by a closely related tick on the west coast. Ticks become infected by feeding on an animal already infected with the disease causing organism (Borrelia) and when these ticks become attached to a non-infected pet and feed, the disease is passed into that animal. Humans cannot get Lyme disease directly from their pet. However, if the pet develops the disease a tick can feed on and then pass the disease from the pet to the human if the human gets a tick bite.

Symptoms that can occur in dogs that may be indicative of Lyme disease include: fever, lameness, swelling in the joints, lethargy, and loss of appetite. Unlike in humans, the appearance of a rash or circular ring of redness around the tick bite does not occur in dogs. It should be said that it can take from 2 to 5 months from the time a pet is bitten by an infected tick for symptoms of Lyme disease to show. In untreated pets, or pets who did not respond well to treatment, symptoms of arthritis can occur, and in rare instances, kidney disease and/or failure can occur. Blood tests are available to aid in the diagnosis of Lyme disease but the presence of clinical signs and a rapid response to antibiotic therapy is usually diagnostic of Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is treated most often with the antibiotics doxycycline or amoxicillin. These medications are usually given for at least 14 days, but 30 days is the recommended treatment duration and in some instances a longer duration may be needed. Pets that do not respond to antibiotic therapy within 48 hours should be brought back to the veterinarian for further diagnosis, since response to antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease is rapid.

Using a product such as K9-Advantix or Frontline Plus will help kill ticks, and even if the tick should attach to the pet, the tick will die within approximately 12 hours. In order for a tick to pass on Lyme disease, it must be attached to the pet for at least 48 hours. These products should be applied once a month. There are also vaccines available for preventing Lyme disease. However, veterinarians are divided as to whether these vaccines are or are not effective. If you live in a heavily tick infested area you can discuss this option with your veterinarian.

For the health of your pet, the pharmacy staff at 1-800-PetMeds recommends apply a flea and tick preventative once a month. Because ticks can survive indoors even in the winter, these products should be used year round.

For further information of tick borne disease visit the Tick FAQs site on PetHealth101