Courtesy of Fort Dodge Laboratories
Q. What is Lyme disease?
A. Lyme disease, or Borreliosis, is a tick-borne bacterial disease affecting both humans and animals. First discovered in the United States in humans in 1975 and reported in dogs in 1984, Borreliosis has since spread rapidly across the country, affecting more victims every year. Lyme disease is caused by corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi.
Q. How is Lyme disease transmitted?
A. The carriers, or vectors, of Borrelia burgdorferi which cause the disease are ticks. Ticks are blood-sucker parasites that draw their life from other creatures. When an infected tick bites, the bacterium is transferred to the blood of the host animal. (See illustrations at front of booklet.)
Q. Where is Lyme disease found?
A. Lyme disease has the potential to exist in any area where Borrelia burgdorferi infected ticks are present. In humans, surveillance data revealed 11 states reporting 497 cases of Lyme disease to the Centers for Disease Control in 1982. By 1990, more than 30,000 cases had been reported by 47 states, and nearly 8,000 cases were reported in 1990 alone, a 16-fold increase since 1982. Lyme disease has become the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. Surveillance data for Lyme disease in the dog is not compiled on a nationwide basis. Experts, however, believe that Lyme disease exposure in the dog may be 6 to 10 times greater than that reported in humans.
Q. Why is Lyme disease spreading so rapidly?
A. While no one knows for sure, there are several possible explanations. Studies have shown that waterfowl and other migratory birds, for instance, have helped disperse the infected tick. Dogs and wildlife that run in infected fields can bring infected ticks back to suburban locations and backyards. Dogs traveling with their owners can spread infected ticks to distant locations. Secluded wooded areas where people live or spend leisure time are the natural environments for ticks and the Lyme disease bacteria.
Q. What are the symptoms of Lyme disease in the dog?
A. Clinical signs of Lyme disease in pets include:
• Arthritis
• Lethargy
• Sudden onset of severe pain and lameness
• Loss of appetite
• Depression
• Fever
Q. How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
A. After observing symptoms which suggest Lyme disease, blood tests can be used to look for antibodies -- infection-fighting proteins -- in the patient's blood. The most common test in domestic animals is the immunofluorescence assay (IFA) test. Unfortunately, blood tests currently being used are often inconclusive. If you are concerned that your pet may be suffering from Lyme disease, contact your veterinarian.
Q. How is Lyme disease treated in dogs?
A. Several broad spectrum antibiotics have proven effective in treating Lyme disease, especially in its early stages. However, treatment is not always successful. Your veterinarian will have the most effective treatment program available.
Q. What can I do to protect my pet from Lyme disease?
A. • Routinely check your pets after they have been outdoors, especially if they have been in areas with tall grass and brush (the favorite hiding places of ticks).
• Brush your dog after each outing. If a tick is attached to your dog's skin, remove it carefully with tweezers, pulling back steadily and slowly to ease out the tick's mouthparts. Wash bite area and your hands.
• Use baths, dips, and flea and tick collars as recommended by your veterinarian.
• Cut brush and mow the grass where your dog plays.
• Treat your yard with a veterinarian-recommended, tick-killing spray.
• Ask your veterinarian about vaccinating your pet for Lyme disease.
Q. Is the vaccine effective?
A. The Lyme vaccine for dogs was developed following years of stringent testing for both safety and effectiveness. While no vaccine is ever 100% effective, the canine Lyme vaccine has been shown to have a reasonable expectation of efficacy in well-controlled laboratory studies. In these studies, vaccinated dogs were protected from a direct intraperitoneal challenge of Borrelia burgdorferi. Unvaccinated dogs in these same studies developed disease symptoms similar to those seen in naturally infected animals.
