Lyme Disease has been reported in almost every US state, Europe and Asia. Approximately 50% of deer ticks may contain the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

After every walk or outing, brush your dog’s coat and check for ticks. Ticks prefer to latch onto the neck, ears, between toes and armpits. If you find a tick add some antibiotic ointment and try to remove it with pointed tweezers. Most of the time the tick is not yet attached to the animal’s skin. Ticks tend to crawl on the fur first, searching for a place to feed. As long as the tick is not attached, it cannot transmit the disease (24 - 74 hours). Should you find a tick that is already attached, try to remove it carefully and place it in alcohol to be taken to the vet for identification, in case your animals shows symptoms.

Symptoms of infection are:

The animal is often lethargic, eats little or nothing, might limp or won’t get up in the morning, has swollen joints or joints that are warm to the touch, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, weight loss. Symptoms can subside over time but will return within a few weeks if not treated.

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, please take your dog to the vet immediately. Lyme disease - if not treated - will cause chronic damage to joints and arthritis. Even some fatal kidney diseases have been reported, as well as neurological disorders. Dogs respond quickly to antibiotics, within a few days, but the treatment will be administered for several weeks to ensure a full cure.

Deer ticks are found close to the ground, or on plants. They thrive in moist, wooded areas, shrubs, but can be found at all other places outside. There is a vaccination for Lyme disease but it could cause serious side effects. A topical treatment for fleas and ticks is very effective because it prevents the ticks from attaching themselves to the dogs. Make sure that the label says “for fleas AND ticks” since not all flea prevention sprays/shampoos/topical treatments are also effective for ticks. My personal recommendation is K9 Advantix. It is the only topical product that repels and kills fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, and stays effective even if your dog likes to swim or gets a bath frequently. Frontline plus is a good product also, but not effective against mosquitoes.

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