Protect Your Pet from Lyme Disease
April is the ideal time for Prevention of Lyme Disease in Dogs Month, as the warmer spring temperatures wake up parasites. To ensure your pet doesn’t give ticks a ride or a meal, take action and learn how to identify common signs of Lyme disease in dogs. This will help you get your furry friend the treatment they need.
How to protect your pet from Lyme disease
Lyme disease can have long-term effects on your pet’s health in addition to affecting you. To safeguard your pet and family from the disease’s severe repercussions, take the following precautions:
- Mow your yard regularly to reduce the likelihood of finding ticks. Ticks are uncommon in short grass.
- Avoid walking your pet in areas where ticks are present, such as tall brush and leafy debris, as they can easily pick up these parasites.
- Thoroughly check your pet for crawling or attached ticks, paying close attention to areas such as near the ears, in the groin, under the tail, and between the toes.
- To protect your pet from Lyme disease, make sure to give them monthly tick prevention medication. This will kill ticks and prevent them from spreading the disease to your pet.
- Consult your veterinarian about whether the Lyme vaccination is suitable for your dog and vaccinate them accordingly.
Lyme disease signs in dogs
Lyme disease is a prevalent illness that dogs can get from ticks. However, only a small 5% to 10% of infected dogs may show symptoms, and these symptoms might not show up for months after the tick bite. Lyme disease signs in dogs can include:
- Shifting-leg lameness
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Inappetence
- Lethargy
- Painful, inflamed joints
It’s important to note that while antibiotics can help decrease the Lyme-causing bacteria, they may not completely eliminate it and can lead to chronic disease in dogs. Your dog’s signs may also come and go as the illness recurs. While it’s uncommon, kidney disease may develop, which can cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, and urination.
Regular tick prevention can protect your pet from developing lifelong illnesses caused by Lyme disease. Get in touch with our team to choose the best tick preventive for your furry friend.