Lyme Disease in Dogs

One of the most serious illnesses your dog may get is the Lyme Disease. The most common causes of this illness are fleas and ticks, which also causes skin irritation in many different animals. Their nuisance aside, the real danger to your dog's health from these pests is that they are blood feeders, and as many people know, most blood feeders act as carriers of Heartworm and Lyme Disease.

However, Lyme Disease is not exclusive to dogs. Cats and many other mammals may also get this disease. Microorganisms such mites, chiggers and fungi’s can also carry these diseases as well as canine mange and various skin related diseases.

Now, the symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs are pretty consistent among different types of dogs. Its common symptoms include swollen joints, fevers, poor appetite, weariness, vomiting and fur falling off the dog’s body.

The scary thing about Lyme Disease in Dogs is that they may spread to humans. And although people are generally less susceptible to the disease than dogs, it is worth remembering that this disease may be transmitted through the bite of a deer tick. So everybody is at risk. Those who have been infected by this illness may suffer from a number of symptoms, including fatigue, fever, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes and skin rashes.

There’s good news though. Almost two decades ago, in the early nineties, the USDA has licensed a vaccine which can render dogs immune from Lyme Disease. So if your dog is a bit on the hyper-active side, and enjoys exposing himself to nature and the elements, you should consider getting him vaccinated for Lyme disease.

Of course, if your dog hasn’t been vaccinated then you may want to watch out for the symptoms mentioned here. And if the illness becomes worse over time, don’t be afraid to bring your dog to the vet. Remember that Lyme disease is transmitted via pests and parasites and it is quite possible for your dog to get other illnesses as well.

With early treatment however, coupled with antibiotics, the progress of Dog Lyme Disease may be halted before it can cause any serious damage to your dog health. Still, prevention is better than a cure. Although vaccination is a good insurance policy, the best way to keep your dog from getting infected is to keep him away from tick-infected areas or at least, remove those ticks which have managed hitch a ride on your dog’s fur. Of course, as a last resort, you can always try using chemicals to clear away any ticks which may be present in your yard or your house.  

Dog Lyme Awareness: Taking Care of your Dog Health

If you have a pet, perhaps a dog that you just cant take your eyes off; would you always give most of your time and efforts to cater to its needs especially when it comes to your dog health? Pampering your dog and taking care of it like it is one of your own is such a very rewarding and satisfying treat for yourself. And whenever you tend to face problems regarding your pet's health, you just cant help but worry and panic.

So, when talking about your pet, are you always aware of the changes happening to your dog? Have you ever noticed that one day, your dog just seemed so weak and silent in pain when in fact your dog has never been that way for it would always seem to be so energetic and vibrant? And then for the next day, it would wail in agony due to swollen joints that if you don't give a proper remedy or bring to a pet hospital would go limping for a long period of time? Would you even believe that despite all the attention and care that you give to your dog, it can still get bitten by ticks? Now that is the major reason of the alarming changes in your dog that can make it sick or even paralyzed.

Dog Lyme or Lyme Disease in dogs is a condition wherein dogs are admitted due to limping (usually one foreleg and from three to four days, the degree of limping will be from mild and barely noticeable up to the complete disuse of the painful leg), the affected limb's lymph node is swelling, fever, loss of appetite, cough, depression and even lethargic behavior. Your dog health is greatly to be affected by this kind of disease when it gets bitten by ticks especially the smallest one called the deer tick, because ticks are the carriers of the bacteria ( Borrelia burgdorferi) that develops this disease.

At least three known species of ticks can transmit Lyme Disease. However, the great majority of Lyme Disease transmissions are due to the bite of a very tiny tick commonly called the Deer Tick, or Black-legged Tick. The tick's body size varies depending on the stage of its two-year life cycle. These ticks are hard to see for they are smaller than the head of the pin. They don't make dogs itch and don't glow in the dark. They are like vampires that sucks the blood and breath out of your dogs body. The dog lyme or lyme disease is actually named after the town (Lyme) in Connecticut where an early outbreak was first noted.

To to ensure your dog health against the development of this lyme disease, you must follow or practice certain habits of prevention by trying to minimize the number of ticks growing in places possible as their breeding place by spraying insecticides on the parameters or merely just staying away from those sites, injecting vaccines for tick prevention, application of anti-tick insecticides, sprays or repellants and carefully picking off the ticks as soon as you find them on your dog's skin especially if you go outdoors. Now if you really want to take good care of your dog health, better be aware of these information and ask your specialist about the things that you are just not so aware and sure of.