7 Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Pets
Some pet owners may not be aware that ticks transmit the potentially life threatening Lyme disease to your fur babies. April was officially Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs month. My feeling is it should be every month – not just one. The Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted through the bite of a tick and is most transmitted via a black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick. Lyme disease can be difficult to detect but can cause serious long-term health complications.
It is more difficult to detect in dogs as they don’t develop the common bullseye rash as in humans. Their symptoms include:
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- High fever
- Vomiting
- Limping
- Sensitive to touch
- Difficulty breathing
Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but if left undetected and untreated for a prolonged period, symptoms can worsen and become harder to manage. This makes prevention against Lyme disease key.
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How Can You Help Protect Your Dog
- Reach out to Mosquito Sheriff to analyze your yard and trees to apply the most effective, all natural tick and flea eliminator
- Try to avoid where ticks may be in abundance. This includes areas that are heavily wooded or there is excessive tall grass.
- Talk to your Vet about the vaccine to prevent Lyme Disease.
Frequently Asked Questions
How likely is your dog to get Lymes disease?
Migrating deer, birds, and other wildlife affected by ticks often wander into developed areas, or on common walking trails. If the wildlife that wanders close to your property carries an infected tick, your dog is still at-risk of catching Lyme disease. Only around 5-10% of dogs show symptoms of Lyme disease.
How long can your dog live with Lymes disease?
These forms of the disease ultimately cause kidney failure, which is the primary cause of death for many dogs with Lyme. Once diagnosed with kidney failure, dogs can live for up to four years, though many succumb to the disease within months or even weeks.
How can dogs give you lymes disease?
Dogs are not a direct source of infection for people. Lyme disease can’t be transmitted from one pet to another, nor from pets to humans, except through tick bites. However, a carrier tick could come into your house on your dog’s fur and get on you.
How contagious is lymes disease in dogs?
Usually the tick must be attached to the dog for 24 to 48 hours or more to transmit the bacteria. Lyme disease is not contagious from one dog to another animal or human unless a tick that bites the infected dog goes on to bite another. It is generally safe to keep an infected dog with other pets and people.
Preventative Measures to Protect You from Ticks
Ticks are common outdoors in parks, trees, grass, and shrubs. Pets are a natural target, they often spread to humans. One might also catch ticks on spending a long time outdoors.
- Usually, tick bites are harmless and can be easily washed off with a hot water bath.
- Few may show allergic reactions and cause serious problems.
- Cover the skin while walking in the grassy areas where ticks are prevalent
- Use tick repellent
- Take a warm shower soon after returning from the woody area
- Check skin carefully after being in tick-prone areas, especially underarms, behind ears, between legs, behind knees, and in hair.
- Keep your grass cut short. Ticks fall from the trees and often attach to long grass until a host comes by.
- Have you yard including outside entertainment areas sprayed monthly by Mosquito Sheriff.Mosquito Sheriff
Some Suggestions recommended by our readers.
- Put a scented dryer sheet in your pocket.
- You can buy bracelets that are supposed to protect
- Try Cedar Oil Spray. Cedar oil is a non-toxic, natural tick and insect repellent.
- Eucalyptus Oil. Eucalyptus oil is known as an effective tick repeller and killer.
- Neem Oil.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Certain Aromatherapy Essential Oils.
- Eat Garlic!
Preventative Measures YOU can do from Home to help manage Fleas
In addition to getting your yard sprayed by Mosquito Sheriff, there are several things you can do to help prevent fleas but also prevent the larvae from hatching more fleas.
- Keep your gutters clean. Fleas will use the wet area for the larvae.
- Empty and refill your bird bath on a regular basis
- Old tires trap water when it rains
- Inspect your property for standing water and eliminate it
- Keep your grass cut short
You want to enjoy your summer without worrying about mosquitoes or fleas. Recognizing the symptoms early can reduce the amount of time it will take to heal. If you take the suggestions on preventative measures and have your yard and trees sprayed monthly by Mosquito Sheriff you can enjoy the outside care free.
If you would like to consider having your own Mosquito Sheriff Business, check out the website.