Lyme Disease Update
It seems that more dogs are testing positive on the Heartworm/Lyme blood test every year. In 2007, about 20% of the dogs we tested in southern Maine had been exposed to the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. So far in 2008, exposure rates have been similar.
Dogs testing positive for lyme, 2007:
| Area | % Testing Positive |
|---|---|
| Portland | 19% |
| Windham | 19% |
| Brunswick | 23% |
| Augusta | 8% |
| Bangor | 9% |
Lyme disease prevention
Lyme disease is endemic in Maine and Lyme prevention should be considered for all dogs. There are 3 important steps you should take to prevent Lyme disease:
- Vaccinate for lyme
- Tick prevention (Frontline)
- Check your pet for ticks daily
1. Lyme vaccination:
This is the single most effective way to prevent Lyme disease. The OspA-type vaccine that we use at the Wellness Clinics is very safe and effective. This vaccine produces antibodies in the dog’s blood that are taken up by feeding ticks and begin attacking the Lyme bacteria before it can even enter the dog’s body.
2. Tick prevention:
Certain products can kill ticks when the tick attaches to your pet, but to effectively prevent Lyme infection, the tick must be killed before it can transmit the Lyme bacteria. Frontline is probably the most effective of these, but none are 100% reliable at preventing infection. Some products claim to repel ticks, but I have not found any of these to be completely effective either.
3. Check your pet for ticks:
If found early enough, ticks can be removed before they have a chance to transmit the lyme bacteria to your pet. Unfortunately, nymph stages of the deer tick are smaller than a sesame seed and very difficult to spot.
If Your Dog Tests Positive for Lyme
A positive test result on our 3DX or 4DX test indicates that a tick bite has exposed your dog to the Lyme bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi), but does not necessarily mean that your dog will develop Lyme disease. Many dogs are able to eliminate the Lyme bacteria from their bodies through a strong immune response and will not develop Lyme disease. In some dogs, however, the Lyme bacteria is able to persist in the body and may cause long term infection - this is the scenario that can lead to debilitating Lyme disease.
All dogs that test positive for Lyme exposure are generally treated with antibiotics to aid the dog’s own immune system as much as possible in it’s fight to eliminate any persisting Lyme bacteria. Lyme disease develops when neither the dog’s own immune response nor antibiotic treatment is able to fully eliminate the infection.
Antibiotics for Lyme treatment will soon be available though the Wellness Clinic Pharmacy on this website.