Keep ticks off pets to prevent Lyme disease

LYNN – With a rise in Lyme disease positive dogs popping up all over the country, veterinarians are urging pet owners to frequently check their furry friends for any unwanted guests taking up residence in their fur – ticks.Dr. David Dunn of North Shore Animal Hospital said it is critical that owners be on the lookout for ticks on their animals in the spring and summer months to prevent the potentially debilitating disease.?The ticks are basically the size of a pin and a bunch of them come out in the spring and then again in the fall,” he said. “Most people don?t know that they are out in the fall, so I urge owners to annually vaccinate their dogs to protect them. They can also get a tick prevention such as Frontline or Promeris.”Nearly 80,000 dogs have tested Lyme positive in the Northeastern states alone, with Massachusetts ranking the highest with 25,496 dogs that have contracted the disease.The nine other states reporting the highest number of Lyme positive dogs include New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Maryland, Maine and Connecticut.Cases have recently been reported in all 50 states, even in areas that do not typically have ticks that transmit Lyme disease. One reasoning for this may be that the infected dogs are traveling with their owners, therefore spreading the ticks.While Lyme disease cannot be spread from pets to people, humans contract the disease the same way, through tick bites.Dunn said dogs with Lyme disease have swelling in multiple joints, limping, lymph node swelling and painful joints.Lethargy, fever, discomfort, and lack of appetite are also common.Since the signs are not unique to Lyme disease, pet owners are urged to bring their dog to a veterinarian immediately if they notice these or other symptoms.?Most dogs are being treated before they start showing any clinical signs,” he said. “It used to be that dogs got ticks in the Ipswich, New Hampshire, or Maine areas, but now cases are reported in Peabody, Lynnfield, Saugus, and other areas close by. It really is an emerging disease.”It?s important to note that not all ticks carry and transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The typical ticks in North America are deer ticks, also called the black-legged tick.If a dog is bitten by one of these ticks, it does not necessarily mean that the dog has been infected by the disease, because transmission of the bacteria from an infected tick to a dog takes at least 48 hours of attachment.?I?m really trying to make sure that people vaccinate their dogs to prevent the disease, because I think we have a good one now that is really effective,” he said.In addition, Dunn said owners should brush their dogs frequently during tick season and thouroughly check their fur, especially after being in a wooded area.