Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks (most commonly the deer tick, but any tick may carry the disease). A tick must feed off of an infected animal in order to become contagious; it cannot spread it directly to another tick or its offspring. Because a tick can live up to three years, it remains infected over the winter and will infect a new animal come spring.

So, what signs do you see? In cats, probably none! Most cats only show a slight lameness, even though they have very high levels in their blood. In dogs, the disease shows signs similar those in humans; signs are usually painful joint swelling (usually in the elbow, carpus (wrist) and tarsus (ankle), fever and arthritis as well as a loss of appetite and depression. The disease can become deadly if the spirochetes get into the kidneys or spinal cord and brain. That being said, only about 5% of dogs will show any signs at all, and the telltale "target" or bull's-eye on the skin is very rare to find.

If you suspect your animal may have Lyme disease, we can test them for its presence by a blood test. Most animals respond well to treatment if done early, and a 4-week course of antibiotics is often required. We can also prescribe medication to help with the pain. Please NEVER give medications to your pet without consulting us! The medication you give may be the end of the Lyme disease, but the end of your pet's life as well.

To help prevent your pet from getting Lyme disease, a few guidelines should be followed: avoid heavily-wooded areas and tall grasses, treat your pet with a tick repelling or killing agent such as Frontline, inspect your pet when they come in from outside. An immature tick needs to feed for at least two days before infecting your pet. An adult must feed for five or six days.

To remove a tick, make sure that you do not use bare fingers. It is possible to get infected through a cut. When removing the tick, grasp it as close to the skin with tweezers. Using gentle traction, pull on the tick at the same angle it is inserted into the skin. Make sure to cleanse the skin afterward. To properly dispose of the ticks, place them in alcohol. Remember that the deer tick is smaller than a sesame seed!

Finally, we have a vaccine available for dogs that can help protect them against getting the disease and against further infection. They are given as a series of two, three weeks apart. Then the boosters are given yearly.