April is Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month. (Don’t you ever wonder who assigns all these special days and months?) Anyhow, Lyme disease is a major problem, especially if you live in the Northeast. As it looks like spring is finally here and we’re spending more time outdoors, it’s time to think about ticks and Lyme disease prevention.
Lyme disease is one of the most common tick-transmitted (bacterial) diseases in the world. It’s typically transmitted to dogs via a tick bite. Apparently ticks must feed for at least 12 hours before transmitting the bacteria causing Lyme disease.
The best way to avoid infection is prevention. Make sure your dog is taking a monthly parasite preventatives (e.g. Advantix – see also our article on Advantix vs Frontline). If you’re going out into the woods or elsewhere outside where you believe there are ticks, consider another layer of prevention via a tick collar (e.g. Preventic). Not sure if your area has a risk of Lyme disease from ticks? Check out this great map from the ALDF.
After you’ve gone outside in a possible tick zone, make sure to check your dog for ticks. You can easily combine this with your dog’s grooming routine.
How Do You Remove a Tick?
According to VCA Hospitals, if you find a tick moving on your pet, the tick has not fed (whew!). Remove the tick promptly and place it in rubbing alcohol or crush it between two solid surfaces.
If you find a tick attached to your pet, remain calm. Then get a pair of tweezers and grasp the tick with tweezers near the dog’s skin and firmly pull it straight out. Make sure you protect your fingers from exposure by using a tissue or a disposable glove.
If you crush the tick, do not get the tick’s contents, including blood, on your skin. The spirochete that causes Lyme disease can pass through a wound or cut in your skin. Before you toss out the tick, consider keeping the dead tick (i.e. very well wrapped up and in a safe place) so you can take it to your vet (or your doctor if you were possibly also bitten). The tick can be tested for diseases. While it won’t necessarily rule out if you or your dog contracted Lyme disease (you could have been bitten by another tick), it doesn’t hurt to have more information. The University of Massachusetts Laboratory of Medical Zoology (LMZ) has a two minute video that explains their tick testing service and a bit of background about their “Save the Ticks” campaign.
According to Erika de Papp, DVM, DACVIM in New England 50-75% of dogs tested may be positive for Lyme disease. Most dogs that test positive are not clinically ill, which makes it difficult to determine which dogs should be treated. Apparently only about 10% of dogs that have tested positive will ever develop clinical illness from infection with the Lyme organism, so many veterinarians argue that treatment is not necessary for seemingly healthy dogs. There are two Lyme tests that assist vets in determining if the infection is active / recent. If your dog tests positive on a screening test, you should discuss additional testing with your veterinarian to determine if treatment is warranted. The most common signs of illness from Lyme disease are lameness, fever, lethargy and enlarged lymph nodes. The majority of dogs respond very well to antibiotic treatment.
For more information about tick-bite protection for tick-borne disease prevention check out the TickEncounter Resource Center (TERC) at the University of Rhode Island. Remember to also discuss these important topics and issues with your veterinarian.
Yikes, ticks are some of the worst parasites for sure! I just removed the first tick of the season on one of my client’s Australian Shepherds. Thankfully, it was still moving on his leg and was easily spotted thanks to the pup’s light colored coat. The sucker was crushed after I got him off with my Tick Twister I always carry on me.
Luckily, we haven’t seen any ticks yet this season. Great info!
Hi Y’all!
My Human gives me a pill for heartworm and fleas and another for ticks Both my Humans have had Lyme and don’t want me to ever get it.
Y’all come on by,
Hawk aka BrownDog
We use a tick key and never tweezers for fear of squeezing too hard and squeezing the poison into the wound. Tick keys are inexpensive and work well. Also for Lymes the treatments are very effective for dogs, but we still use Frontline to protect ticks since there are worse tick born diseases than Lymes..
So scary, thanks for the info, great post!
Lyme disease is no fun! Even though I check Barley for ticks after every excursion and she’s on flea and tick prevention, she still got infected. Luckily, she doesn’t seem affected by Lyme–she’s never exhibited much lethargy and no lameness–because even several rounds of antibiotics didn’t lower her C6 antibody levels to anywhere near a normal level. We are committed to a life time of tests to make sure that her kidneys aren’t affected by it.
Man, we hate ticks and no matter what we do a few find there way to attachment every year. The other day we were tracking in thick prairie grass, but we are happy to report, two dogs, no ticks, humans several ticks. I guess the dogs are doing something right!
Google tick spinning. It’s an easy way to remove an attached tick from your dog, without chance of losing any part of the tick.