The Best Treatment For Your Dog
Now the best product to use for any individual dog really depends on the local risk of parasites and the diseases that they can potentially carry, which are present in some areas but not others.
If you’re wondering about ticks in particular, for a rundown of ticks, especially in relation to Lyme disease, then be sure to check out my post giving a complete rundown on preventing Lyme disease in dogs.
The bottom line is that Nexgard, Brevecto, Simparica they are very effective drugs. They do a very good job of both preventing flea infestations, treating flea infestations and killing ticks. They do a much better job than the vast majority of other tick products out there and although there is a risk of developing tremors and even seizures the risk is very, very, very low. It’s something like less than 1 in 10,000 dogs will experience this, and it’s likely to be much lower.
So while we need to bear all of these things in mind and if your dog is epileptic, we should definitely be cautious but we don’t want to over exaggerate the risks when there are potential benefits, and when we’re using them to prevent diseases like Lyme disease, which are potentially fatal.
The above is a transcript taken from The Dr Alex Answers Show.
If you would like me to answer any question you have about your pets health, simply fill in this form and Ill try and get you the information that you need. Its that simple!
Understand Your Flea And Tick Repellents
Most people do not understand that their monthly flea and tick repellent, whether it be orally taken or dropped on the dog’s back, does nothing to repel ticks. It will kill the tick after it has bitten your dog, and only reduces the chance your dog will get Lyme disease.
The best way to prevent Lyme disease and tick bites on dogs is to have your dog vaccinated as well as use a monthly flea and tick repellent. The vaccine will protect your dog against the disease itself, but it requires a yearly booster.
Do Dead Ticks Fall Off Dogs
The product doesnt repel ticks, so ticks can still attach but once dead they will normally drop off, or can be easily removed. The longer a tick feeds, the greater the chance of it passing on disease and around one in every three ticks is thought to carry an infectious disease that can affect dogs.
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Testing For Kidney Disease
Tests to diagnose kidney disease include complete blood count, serum biochemistry, and urinalysis. These blood tests will determine if your pet is anemic, determine white blood cell counts, measure blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and electrolytes. A urinalysis is essential for the proper interpretation of the urea and creatinine values in the serum biochemistry profile and may also provide important clues to the possible underlying cause of kidney disease. A urinalysis will also determine the specific gravity, pH, presence of blood in the urine, and the amount of protein in the urine. An evaluation of the urine sediment will determine the presence of red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria, crystalline material, and cellular casts all of which provide information to determine the underlying cause of kidney disease in your pet. Further diagnostic tests may be recommended based on the results of these initial screening tests.
What Are The Clinical Signs Of Lyme Disease
Some people with Lyme disease develop a characteristic bull’s-eye rash at the site of the bite within three to thirty days. If this occurs, the disease can be easily diagnosed at an early stage.
However, signs of Lyme disease are more difficult to detect in animals than in people. The characteristic rash does not develop in dogs or cats. In fact, Lyme disease is practically unheard of in cats.
“Affected dogs have been described as if they were walking on eggshells.”
Many dogs affected with Lyme disease are taken to a veterinarian because they seem to be experiencing generalized pain and have stopped eating. Affected dogs have been described as if they were walking on eggshells. Often these pets have high fevers. Dogs may also begin limping. This painful lameness often appears suddenly and may shift from one leg to another. If untreated, it may eventually disappear, only to recur weeks or months later.
Some pets are infected with the Lyme disease organism for over a year before they finally show symptoms. By this time, the disease may be widespread throughout the body. Non-specific signs which may indicate that Lyme disease is affecting the kidneys include vomiting, lethargy, anorexia , and weight loss. The kidney form of the disease is less common, but often fatal.
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How Much Does Lyme Disease Treatment Cost
An estimated 240,000 to 440,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, with the an average of $3,000 spent annually per patient on treatment, according to the study, published online in PLOS ONE. Treating Lyme disease and its lingering symptoms can cost healthcare system up to $1.3 billion annually.
Concentration Of Fluralaner In Blood
At Day 2, the plasmatic concentration arithmetic mean was 13,815±11,585 ng/ml in the 50 mg/kg group and 4594±6995 ng/ml in the 12.5 mg/kg. Nevertheless, given the great variability in the Cp of tested individuals, Cp were not statistically different between the two groups = 7, P = 0.4). At Day 28, the differences in Cp between treatments decreased with 579 ± 885 ng/ml in the 50 mg/kg group and 208±277 ng/ml in the 12.5 mg/kg group =7, P=0.4). Plasmatic concentration became roughly the same at Day 45 =0, P=0.1) with 46.7±0.5 ng/ml and 52±1 ng/ml, respectively .
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Testing For Lyme Disease In Dogs
Lyme disease spread by ticks can be diagnosed with a simple blood tests in your veterinarian’s clinic. The C6 test is very sensitive and specific at diagnosing cases of Lyme disease and depending on clinical signs and concurrent results, treatment may be started immediately. If treatment has been successful, reductions in the QC6 at six months should be lower than the starting point.
How Long Does Nexgard Stay In A Dog’s System
On the whole, NexGard is a safe product and as it lasts just one month in a pet’s system if your pet suffers any adverse effects they should be short-lived. This is in comparison to Bravecto which lasts 12 weeks in your pet’s system. NexGard is also the only product licensed to prevent Lyme disease in dogs.
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Only You Can Prevent Lyme Disease
No this is not a new graphic design at the top of the page but twelve ticks all capable of spreading Lyme Disease. Do you believe you could have found these ticks in the hair of your dog, even in a short hair dog? To tell the truth without magnification I would not even see these ticks on my dog.
April has been designated as PreventLyme disease in dogs month. Most of us are familiar with the fact that there is an increasing number of cases of Lyme disease in people. Have you thought about your dog and Lyme disease? While it is not the most common tick-borne disease seen in southwest Missouri, the number of cases is increasing. This disease is actually caused by a bacterial spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, found in ticks. The deer tick has been most often associated with the disease, but in recent years it has become less clear if other species of ticks may also spread the disease since the black-legged tick is associated in humans.
The symptoms of Lyme disease are variable based on where the organism elects to attack the body. Typical symptoms are:
- fever
- heart disease
- neurological disease
First-line protection for your pet from Lyme disease is excellent tick prevention. Isoxazoline preventatives such as Bravecto and Nexgard are safe and effective products available for use. Unfortunately, in areas of high tick populations, it is possible for an occasional tick to slip by this preventive screen.
Can Ticks Lay Eggs On Dogs
The female dog tick lays 4,000 to 6,500 eggs and then dies. … As an animal passes by, the tick will crawl onto it and soon start feeding. The males remain on the host for an indefinite period of time alternately feeding and mating. The females feed, mate, become engorged, and then drop off the animal to lay their eggs.
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Is There A Vaccine That Will Protect My Dog From Lyme Disease
A safe and generally effective vaccine is available for protecting dogs against Lyme disease. This vaccine is initially given twice, at two- to four-week intervals.
“Annual revaccination is necessary to maintain immunity.”
Annual revaccination is necessary to maintain immunity. Vaccination against Lyme disease will be determined by your pet’s lifestyle and individual risk assessment. Be sure to discuss any questions you may have regarding the type and frequency of vaccination with your veterinarian.
What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. A spirochete is a type of bacterium.
“Lyme disease is transmitted to dogs through the bite of a tick.”
Lyme disease is transmitted to dogs through the bite of a tick. Once in the blood stream, the Lyme disease organism is carried to many parts of the body and is likely to localize in joints or kidneys. The most common type of tick to carry Lyme disease is the deer tick . Deer ticks are distributed through the Midwest and eastern United States, as well as throughout Canada with the highest proportion in Ontario.
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Canton Flea & Tick Prevention: Year
Our Canton veterinary team knows that remembering to give your pet his monthly medication is not always easy, especially if your dog dislikes taking pills. Thats why we offer Bravecto, the first FDA-approved oral soft chew to protect your dog from fleas and ticks for up to 12 weeks. Unlike other chewable oral medications or topical medications that require monthly administration, Bravecto offers broad spectrum, long-lasting protection for up to 12 weeks. It starts killing any fleas that may be on your pet within 2 hours of ingestion and treats and controls against four tick species . Bravecto also kills the lone star tick for up to eight weeks. This means that Bravecto kills more than 96.6% of all ticks that carry Lyme Disease. Thats good news for both you and your pet.
Remember, no matter how cold it gets outside, fleas can still live inside the house during the winter months. All it takes is for a few fleas to drop off your pets coat while hes lying on the carpet or sneaking a seat on the sofa and you could end up with a serious flea infestation! Treating a flea infestation is not easy. Even if you think youve removed all the fleas, there may still be some lurking in sideboards or carpeting, ready to re-infect your pet. This is why prevention is truly the best treatment. With year-round flea and tick prevention medication, your pet and your home will be safe from fleas.
Tick Infestations And Assessments
The I. ricinus ticks used in the studies were reared in a laboratory for at least 2 generations since their introduction from the wild . Tick infestations were conducted on medetomidin sedated dogs on days -2, 28 , 56 and 84 . At each infestation time point, every dog was infested with 50 female unfed adult ticks applied directly to their fur along the back, lateral side, and head. Approximately 10 male ticks were additionally applied to give Ixodes females best conditions for attachment. Tick-infested dogs were held in individual pens until parasite removal. The tick burden of all dogs in each treatment and control group pairing were assessed at either 4 , 8 , 12 , or 24 hours after treatment or after re-infestation . The entire body of each dog was examined and ticks were carefully removed using forceps. Ticks were classified as dead or alive, attached or unattached, and counted. Personnel conducting tick classification and tick counts were blinded to the treatment status of each dog.
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Its Tick Season Keeping You And Your Pet Safe From Lyme Disease
Guest blog by Dr. William St. Lawrence, Village Square Veterinarian, Portola Valley Village Square
May is Lyme Awareness month but it is only the beginning of peak season in the Bay Area for the troublesome nymphal blacklegged ticks that can carry Lyme disease. As we come to the final days of the month, it is not time to let down your guard.
In this guest post, popular local veterinarian Dr. William St. Lawrence shares some important facts about keeping you and your pets safe for the rest of this spring and early summer.
Lyme Disease and Your Pets
Lyme is a spirochettsial disease , spread by ticks. Although Lyme disease is not as prevalent on the west coast as the east coast, the northern coast of California is one area that has a moderate amount of the disease. Here on the west coast, the Lyme vector is the Ixodes pacificus tick. Unfortunately, although it prefers to feed on reptiles, the tick will attach to dogs and people.
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of tick control for pets to help in the prevention of Lyme disease in people. Making sure that any tick that attaches to your pet is going to die is an important part of stopping a tick from attaching to you, the pet owner, or any of your other family members.
So What to Do?
How to Remove a Tick
Lyme vaccines
Symptoms and Treatment
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How Does This Work Exactly
Its the delivery system that should give you pause. In case its not apparent in the slick ads, lets again be very simple about this, fair enough?
If you feed your dog a pesticide, and it kills fleas and ticks, whats the vehicle for the pesticide to get to the pest?
Your pets blood stream!
Does that cause you any concern at all? It was like a cold slap to the face when I first saw Mercks ads for this.
And, get this, it stays in your pets blood, at lethal levels to fleas and ticks, for 12 weeks!
If thats not at all scary to you, you probably can skip the rest of this article. In my mind, bells and whistles went off reading about how fast it starts poisoning fleas and how long it persists at killing concentrations.
In your pets blood stream.
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Which Tick Prevention Is Best For My Dog
If you are a dog owner in Minnesota, youre probably concerned about finding ticks on your dog. Not only are ticks creepy but they carry health risks too. Ticks in the Plymouth area commonly carry diseases like Lyme, Anaplasma and even Ehrlichia, which can cause fever, joint swelling, lethargy, depression, neurologic symptoms and even blood clotting disorders. Using tick prevention is very important to keep your dog healthy.
Ticks are looking for hosts to take a blood meal from anytime the temperature is above freezing. At Northwest Animal Hospital, we tend to see more ticks coming out the first week of March, however, we do see ticks year round, even in the winter if the temperature is above freezing. Anytime there is even a blade of grass poking through the snow, dogs are at risk for tick exposure.
Ticks quest or look for new hosts to feed on by climbing onto blades of grass and holding out their front pair of legs. When they sense body heat or odors, they jump onto their host, insert their mouthparts into the skin and begin to feed. Because dogs are close to the ground and often running through the leaves and grasses where ticks are questing, they are often the first host the tick finds. Once the tick inserts it mouthparts through the skin, it begins to secrete saliva which contains bacteria like Lyme, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia
What Is The Likelihood Of Getting Lyme Disease From A Tick Bite
Lyme disease transmission through observed tick bites can result from one bite in at least 36 hours before another bite, since tick saliva can contain the spirochete. As a result, the risk of disease is one bite or less before the third bite. 2 to 1. Four percent is seen even if it is common throughout an area.
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Lyme Disease In Dogs: How To Treat It
After being outside in the grass or woods, do a tick check on yourself and your pet before you go back inside.
Treatment of Lyme disease in dogs is usually done with tetracycline or a penicillin type antibiotic for at least 14 days and often longer. Most dogs respond quickly, though in a few cases, dogs will continue to have chronic symptoms and may develop arthritis.
Sometimes the blood test may show a positive result when your dog does not have Lyme disease. In this case, your dog has probably been exposed to the bacteria, but doesnt actually have the disease.
Always remember the best treatment for Lyme disease is prevention.
How To Treat Lyme Disease In Dogs
Do not attempt to treat a dog for Lyme disease only if you suspect it to be the case. A veterinarian must confirm that the dog is actually infected and then develop a treatment plan. As noted above, even after the first test, the situation may still be unclear.
The treatment will usually include antibiotics for at least one month, given to dogs at a dosage of 10 mg per 2 lbs of a dog’s body weight. This will generally resolve most symptoms, but they can still recur. Dogs with Lyme nephropathy will usually need a longer treatment course.
Doxycycline is the most commonly prescribed antibiotic for dogs with Lyme disease, but many other antibiotics can also be effective. Your vet may also prescribe a pain reliever if your dog seems to be experiencing any pain or stiffness. For example, amoxicillin is the go-to antibiotic for puppies, given for 30 days at 20 mg per 2 lbs of body weight.
A dog with Lyme disease will respond to antibiotic treatment in the first few days.
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