Lyme Disease Ticks and Fleas
WHAT IS LYME DISEASE AND HOW DO PETS GET IT? Lyme disease is caused by a germ transmitted through the bite of a tick, primarily the deer tick in California. The adult tick feeds and mates on a host animal and the females drop off and die after laying eggs but are capable of infecting pets during all stages (larva, nymph and adult) of their development. In pets, the infection of Lyme disease is serious. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY PET HAS IT? Testing is essential in order to diagnose Lyme disease along ith the symptoms. Sometimes, an early test may not detect any evidence so a repeat test may be necessary to confirm. Cats contract Lyme disease less frequently than many other species as they groom themselves more and keep their coat clean. When they do, cats may sleep excessively, become feverish, appear arthritic or lame, and stop eating. Lyme disease progresses in three stages. Stage one may last for several weeks after the tick bite and may include a rash at the site of the bite, and flu-like symptoms. Stage two After few weeks or months of the tick bite, more serious complications occur which include lameness, swelling of joints, neurological and heart problems. In stage three the arthritis and permanent joint damage occurs. Dogs may have fever, painful swelling of joints, loss of appetite, kidney and neurological sypmtom of inco-ordination, seizures and unusual or aggressive behavior. HOW DO I KEEP MY PETS FROM GETTING IT? The ticks that carry the disease are most common in wooden and tall grass areas which means outdoors roaming pets are most likely to be infested by ticks. You should check them routinely and thoroughly after an outdoors long walk or exercise and brush their hair coats. Ticks that carry the disease are quite small ( pinhead size ) and dark brown in color. If you find attached ticks, remove them by grasping the tick as close to its head as possible with tweezers before pulling. To transmit the Lyme disease organism the tick has to be attached to the host for at least few hours. The yard area should be periodically sprayed with insecticide especially in the summer and the tall grass or weeds cut short. Tick infested pet should be tested for Lyme disease. Besides Lymes disease, the ticks transmit many other diseases like Tick paralysis, Ehrlichia and others. IS THERE ANY CURE FOR THE DISEASE? If the pets can be diagnosed at an very early stage, they can be treated for Lyme disease with some medication for few weeks but if the disease is already progressed then the damage done to the body organs may continue to cause health issues and a cure may not be an appropriate term to use. As always the most effective cure is prevention and we have this new vaccine to prevent from Lymes disease. Please call us to discuss flea and tick control and make appointment for vaccination.
Not every single tick necessarily carries Lyme's Disease or will cause other tick-borne diseases but has a potential to transmit if it is already harboring with any one of the "that specific germ" while having sufficient time to bite the pet. To answer any specific question whether a disease (and/or other diseases) was transmitted through a tick bite, different tests and subsequent repeat (serial) testings must be done otherwise it is speculative. If you cannot bear all the costs, then an immediate preventive course of antibiotic soon after a tick bite to your pet is a safer option followed by preventive vaccination such as Lymes Vaccine. Do You Know even People Can Get Lymes Disease and about 20,000 in USA are Annualy Affected by This Disease! For more info Please call 562-630-2082.