With spring here and wildlife roaming about I thought I better discuss a disease that is becoming more prevalent in our area (check out capcvet.org to see distribution maps of different parasites). Lyme disease is passed by the bite of a deer tick. Good news is that the tick has to bite for around 48 hours to pass the disease on to us dogs, so if owners are really good about pulling ticks off of us we’re less likely to get lyme disease! Lyme disease does not cause the “bullseye lesion” on our skin like it does in humans. It can cause lameness, not wanting to eat, sore joints, and really high fevers. In severe cases it can even cause pretty bad kidney disease. While I have never been vaccinated for it, I have been tested for it (RAH tests for it annually and have had some positive cases) and I take my monthly oral tick prevention. If more and more cases of lyme disease occur in the Greater Cincinnati area, I’m sure I will get the vaccine just to be safe. But for now I am on the lookout for those little pesky deer ticks!
