Lyme Disease in Nebraska: Is Your Dog at Risk?

A Growing Concern:

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans and other mammals by the bites of infected ticks of the genus Ixodes. (The ticks are the carriers of the bacteria … even parasites can have parasites!) Ticks now pose a greater threat to dogs (and people) across the country than ever before. Several species of ticks, and the various diseases that they can transmit, are now commonly found in parts of the USA where they previously did not exist. Lyme disease has traditionally been thought of as a problem that was concentrated mostly in the northeastern United States; however, it has been creeping towards the center of our country over the past several years as the deer tick (also known as the black-legged tick) expands its range. A recent article in the Omaha World-Herald noted that Nebraska state health officials had sent out an alert saying that the deer tick has established a presence for the first time in eastern Nebraska, namely in Douglas, Sarpy and Saunders Counties. Where these ticks take up residence, the risk of pets and people contracting Lyme disease is likely to increase.

Health officials advise that people who are spending any time in typical tick habitats need to increase their vigilance about checking for the tiny parasites, both on themselves and their pets. Lyme disease is not communicable from one animal to another EXCEPT through tick bites; however, if one animal in a multi-pet household is diagnosed with the infection, it may be recommended to test the other pets for infection as well. In addition, a diagnosis of Lyme disease in any human family members should prompt a call to your veterinarian for advice.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease:

Making a diagnosis of Lyme disease can be difficult, because clinical signs are typically seen in only about 10% of infected dogs. Infected pets may not show any signs for two to five months. Symptoms that may appear, as we observed with Roxy, include the following:

• Lameness
• Joint or limb swelling
  • Lameness or join pain may shift from one leg to another
• Lethargy
• Fever
• Lymphadenopathy (swollen or enlarged lymph nodes)

Is YOUR Dog at Risk? 

To determine your pet’s risk of Lyme disease,  consider these factors:

• Do you often find a high number of ticks on your dog after he goes outside?
• Does your dog accompany you on hunting trips, camping trips, to parks or to wooded areas?
• Does your dog travel with you outside of the state of Nebraska, especially to regions where Lyme disease is seen often?

If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, your dog is at increased risk of contracting Lyme disease. And remember, even in urban areas, ticks can be brought into residential areas and yards by hosts like white-tailed deer, raccoons, turkeys, coyotes, and other neighborhood pets.

• Do you regularly use a tick control product on your dog, such as Frontline Gold?
• Do you check your dog for ticks every day?

If you answered yes to the last two questions above, that’s great! You are taking two important steps towards greatly reducing your dog’s chances of getting Lyme disease.  What else can you do to help your pet? (Keep reading!)

Prevention of Lyme Disease

While Lyme disease can be successfully treated, especially if we catch it early, the best treatment is prevention! Even if Lyme disease is not yet prevalent where you live, you and your dog may routinely travel in and out of regions that are teeming with ticks. Those ticks may carry Borrelia burgdorferi. Ticks are also a lot more resilient than they are given credit for, and can remain a blood-seeking nuisance into the fall and winter, as long as temperatures are above 40 degrees F.

• Medication: Since the weather in Nebraska can be so unpredictable, we recommend using a good quality flea and tick preventative for your pets year-round. For dogs, there are both topical and oral medications available.
• The Once-Over, Once Daily: Tick preventatives are very important, but they are not meant to act as repellents. When your dog has been out in the yard (especially if your lawn has gotten a bit overgrown, contains lots of leaf litter, or has lots of shrubbery  – all prime tick habitats) you should do a “tick check” at least once a day. Also check for ticks when you’ve been camping, hiking, or visiting woodland areas.
• Get ‘Em Off: Carefully remove any ticks that you find, using tweezers or a special tick removal tool. It takes about 48 hours after attachment to a blood source (you or your dog) for an infected tick to transmit the Lyme disease bacteria, so the sooner you find ticks and remove them, the better!
• Vaccinate: There is a Lyme disease vaccination for dogs. Talk to one of our veterinarians to find out if this vaccine is recommended for your pet! The decision will be based on the risk factors we discussed above, as well as your pet’s overall health. If you decide to have your dog vaccinated, it will at first require two doses of the vaccine, administered 2 to 4 weeks apart. PLEASE NOTE: the second dose must be given no more than 5 weeks after the first, or your dog will have to restart the series!
  • A booster vaccination will be required annually, after completion of the initial two-dose series. You should continue vaccinating annually as long as your dog is considered at risk for Lyme disease.
  • If you anticipate traveling with your dog to a Lyme disease-endemic area (a place where Lyme disease has been prevalent for some time,) plan ahead! Current AAHA vaccination guidelines recommend that your dog’s last dose of the initial vaccine series be administered no less than 2 to 4 weeks prior to your travel date. Therefore, you should start the two-vaccine series at least 4 weeks before you want to hit the road!

Can Cats Get Lyme Disease?

Cats have been known to be infected with the organism that causes Lyme disease, but rarely exhibit any signs of active infection.  According to the Feline Health Center at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, the disease has never been seen in a cat outside of a laboratory setting. However, if you notice any of the above listed symptoms of Lyme disease in your cat during peak tick seasons, you should seek veterinary attention immediately. Cats, like dogs, that are treated promptly have an excellent chance of a full recovery. Delaying treatment can result in irreversible tissue damage. There is no preventative Lyme vaccination for cats, but the use of year-round tick-preventative topical medications (made specifically for cats) can be very effective in keeping your cat free of the nasty parasites and the diseases they carry.

Roxy Rocks On

As for our patient, Roxy is feeling better every day! Her mama says that Roxy thinks everyone on this earth was put here just for her. She is a people-pleaser and doesn’t ever want to do anything to disappoint her mama … but if you leave a loaf of bread on the counter, it may not be there for long! (Typical Boxer shenanigans!) Everywhere Roxy goes, people just seem to be drawn to her, and she to them, and that’s no surprise to anyone here at Bellevue Animal Hospital.  If you’re out and about, you may see this social butterfly at Doggy 5K’s with her mama, enjoying Jazz on the Green, walking the flea market in Omaha on Saturday mornings, going to Dog Day at the Bay (she loves to swim,) or taking in a ball game.  Roxy enjoys a road trip or a walk anywhere. Her favorite toy is, of course, a ball – but she also likes to play with the family cat, Dakota! She can ring a bell hanging from the back door when she wants to go outside, and this smart, good girl has never once chewed up a shoe – but remember, don’t leave that bread on the counter or it’s a goner! We love you, Roxy – keep on rockin’ on!

 

For a downloadable information handout, click here: LYME DISEASE

For additional information about Lyme disease, vaccinations, dealing with ticks and fleas, and other preventive pet care advice, please check out the rest of our website, and visit the AVMA’s public resources pages on pet care.