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Lyme Disease in Dogs and Cats
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What Is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is an infection that causes arthritis and lameness and is transmitted to animals through the bite of infected ticks. If it is untreated, canine Lyme disease can cause heart, kidney, and neurological problems. It is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be spread from animals to humans. In this case, Lyme disease can be transmitted if an infected tick from a dog bites a human. Lyme disease is named for the Connecticut town, Lyme, where it was first reported. Lyme disease continues to be a problem in the Northeast US because that's where the Ixodes tick that carries the disease has natural hosts, such as deer and deer mice to prey upon.
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Zoonotic diseases are transmitted through ticks to people
Pets with poor immune response may have lingering illness
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What Causes Lyme Disease and Which Tick Carries It?
The spirochete (a microorganism that looks like a tiny strand of crimped hair) that causes Lyme disease is Borrelia burgdorferi. There are different ticks in different regions that are carriers. The tick that commonly transmits Lyme disease in the East and Midwest is Ixodes scapularis; in the West, it's Ixodes pacificus.
Which Pets Are Most at Risk for Lyme Disease?
• Outdoor pets
• Pets with no protection from ticks
• Pets sharing fields with mice and deer
• Pets in Northeastern US and the upper mid-west
Who Can Develop Lyme Disease?
Humans, cattle, horses, cats, and dogs can develop Lyme disease. It occurs worldwide, but the highest incidence occurs where ticks have susceptible hosts like deer and deer mice to feed on. In the US, the concentration of ticks and their hosts is greatest in the Northeast, upper Mississippi River valley, California, and some Southern states. In these areas pets should have protection from ticks. The states with 95% of human Lyme Disease cases (the incidence in pets parallels that in people) are New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Hampshire, Maine, and Delaware.
How Does Lyme Disease Affect People?
Lyme disease is a more serious problem for people than for pets. In pets the biggest problems are with the joints, and possibly with the kidney filtering unit, the glomerulus.
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Where Should I Look for Ticks on My Pet?
Most often, you can find ticks around the head and neck. They also like to hide between the toes, on or in the ears, around the ridges of the ears, in the armpit, and groin. Ticks can be very small so when you check your pet, look carefully. Sometimes what looks like a freckle can be a tick.
How Do I Remove Ticks from My Pet?
Grab the tick with tweezers as near to your pet's skin as you can, and gently pull it straight out. Be careful not to squeeze the tick too hard when removing it because bacteria could be injected into the skin.
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Max's Tip: DO NOT try to remove the tick with your fingers, or try to remove with lighted cigarettes, matches, nail polish, or vaseline. If you are having a hard time, please contact your veterinarian for help. |
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