How Do I Remove A Tick From My Dog
Check your pet immediately after it has been in a tick-infected area. The deer tick is a small tick and only about pinhead size in juvenile stage, but is a little more obvious in the adult phase and after feeding. If you find a tick moving on your pet, the tick has not fed. Remove the tick promptly and place it in rubbing alcohol or crush it between two solid surfaces. If you find a tick attached to your pet, grasp the tick with fine tweezers or your finger nails near the dog’s skin and firmly pull it straight out. There are also tools available called Tick Twister® or Tick Key® which can be useful. However, take care to use them cautiously as twisting or jerking the tick may cause the mouth parts to break off and remain in the skin. See your veterinarian if you are unsure or unable to remove the tick from your dog.
Make sure you protect your fingers from exposure by using a tissue or a disposable glove.You may need another person to help restrain your dog. Removing the tick quickly is important since the disease does not appear to be transmitted until the tick has fed for approximately 12 hours. If you crush the tick, do not get the tick’s contents, including blood, on your skin.
Note: The bacterium that causes Lyme disease can pass through a wound or cut in your skin.
Where Are Ticks In Toronto Located
Blacklegged ticks are found most often in forests and overgrown areas between wooded areas and open spaces. This makes for perfect breeding grounds in many parts of Toronto. Specifically,
- The Rouge Valley, east of Toronto
- Don Valley trail system
The Public Health Agency of Canada works with provincial authorities to identify where populations of infected blacklegged ticks have been established or are spreading.
This is the latest Ontario Lyme Disease Map from Public Health Ontario:
More information can be found here:
In other parts of Ontario, known endemic areas for Lyme disease are:
- Point Pelee National Park
Expansion areas of risk in Ontario include:
- Kingston and surrounding areas along Lake Ontario
- Along the St. Lawrence Valley to the border with Quebec and northeast towards Ottawa
- Northwestern Ontario in the Lake of the Woods region
- Pinery Provincial Park on the shores of Lake Huron
For the most up-to-date information, visit canada.ca/LymeDisease
How Are Dogs Tested For Lyme Disease
Diagnosis is made by a combination of history, physical signs, and diagnostics. For dogs, the two blood tests for diagnosing Lyme disease are called the C6 Test and Quant C6 test. Veterinarians perform both.
The C6 test detects antibodies against a protein called C6. Presence of the antibodies suggests an active Lyme infection. The C6 antibodies can be detected three to five weeks after an infected tick bites a dog and may be found in the bloodstream even before the dog shows signs of illness.
The next step is to do a Quant C6 test. This, along with urinalysis will help determine if antibiotic treatment is necessary.
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Lyme Disease: What Dog Lovers Need To Know
You probably know Lyme Disease is carried by ticks. Those nasty little parasites look for a warm body to attach to and feed on. Some of those ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease Borrelia Burgdorferi.
However, you might not know that your dog can test positive for Lyme disease and not actually have it. Strange, right? But its true. According to Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, testing positive simply means your pet tested positive for the antibodies but only about 5% of dogs actually develop the illness.
Thats good news for dog lovers!
Yet, you should be aware of the symptoms of Lyme Disease in dogs just in case your pet is one of that 5 %. Its also a good idea to discuss the pros and cons of the Lyme vaccine youre your veterinarian.
The other thing youll want to know is that some dogs will show fever and lameness within 2-3 days and with others…it can take MONTHS before your dog shows any signs. In other words, you can pick 10 ticks off your dog in August and it can be Halloween before your dog starts showing signs of the illness. If you find ticks and your dog shows any signs of lethargy or lameness, go to vet immediately. Acute forms of Lyme are much easier to treat.
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.
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How Can Lyme Disease Be Diagnosed
Make an appointment to see your Greensboro vet if you think your pet may have Lyme disease.
The vet will request a thorough history of your pet’s health, then run a combination of tests including x-rays, blood tests, urine analysis, and fecal exams.
Your vet may also draw a sample of fluid from your pet’s affected joints to be analyzed for signs of Lyme.
My Dog Just Tested Positive For Lyme What Does This Mean
Canine Lyme disease is a complicated and often confusing disease. Here are the answers to many commonly encountered questions about Lyme disease and some explanations for our current recommendations surrounding yearly Lyme vaccination, seasonal tick control products, and Lyme testing.
What causes Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of a tick infected with a spirochete bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. Here in Minnesota, the tick that transmits Lyme disease is Ixodes scapularis, more commonly known as the “deer tick.” The deer tick has three life stages within a 2 year life cycle. Humans and pets are usually infected by nymphs or adult ticks . The Lyme hotspots in MN are typically central MN and the MN/WI border.
How does Lyme disease differ in humans and in dogs?
Over 90% of infected humans will show clinical signs of Lyme disease. The initial signs of Lyme disease in humans are often the classic bull’s eye lesion and flu-like symptoms. Unlike their human owners, clinical signs of Lyme disease are observed only in approximately 5-15% of infected canine cases. When early clinical signs occur, they typically occur about 2 months after the infection. Signs include lameness , arthritis in one or multiple joints, enlarged lymph nodes, lethargy , and fever. Skin lesions are very rare in dogs.
How common is Lyme infection in dogs?
How does Westgate test for Lyme disease?
Why should my dog that is showing no symptoms of Lyme disease be treated?
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What Do The Ticks Look Like
One of the problems with ticks is that they are difficult to see. Tick nymphs are tiny, just 2mm in length. However, as they feed, their bodies swell, and they become far more noticeable. This means that you will be able to find them on your dog’s skin if you look carefully. The issue is removing the tick.
You can remove a tick with a special device that you can get from your vet. Removing it without a tool like this may cause you to only get the body or could force partially digested blood back into your dog which could increase their risk of infection. Be careful and if in doubt, consult your vet.
Lyme Disease In Dogs: What Concerned Pet Parents Need To Know
Lyme disease in dogs: Four very scary words for a pet parent. When a pup is bitten by an infected tick and contracts Lyme disease, they can get very sick, becoming feverish, tired and experiencing pain from arthritis, which can be a result of this disease attacking collagen-rich body tissue. The very good news is that with the right tools and knowledge, Lyme disease in dogs is treatable and completely preventable.
From the symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs to watch out for to possible treatments, heres what pet parents need to know.
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What To Do If My Dog Has A Tick
Despite all your best efforts, sometimes a tick will still take hold of your pooch. If your dog has a tick, then you will want to remove it as soon as possible.
To remove, follow these steps:
What Is The Prognosis Of Lyme Disease In Dogs
Like other dog health issues, there are a few factors that determine your pets prognosis. The prognosis depends on the time of detection of the disease, Dr. Muller says. In the case of early treatment without manifest symptoms, the prognosis is good. However, if clinical symptoms are already present that have caused damage to the kidneys, heart, and nervous system, then the prognosis is poor.
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Causes Of Lyme Disease In Your Dog
Lyme disease occurs when your dog has been bitten by an infected tick. The species of tick, the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, carries the spiral-shaped bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi. These ticks are found in the woods and tall grass, but your pet can pick them up almost anywhere, and at almost any time.
Many pet owners think that tick season ends when it gets cold outside. You may think that ticks die off in the winter and your pet is safe, but that isnt true. Most ticks do reduce their activity, but they dont die. If you live in regions that have mild winters, the chances of ticks staying active are especially high.
Lyme disease is only contracted through the bite of an infected tick. Pets cannot pass lyme disease to each other. But if you have multiple pets and one is diagnosed with lyme disease, it would be a good idea to have your other pets tested if they spend time in the same areas as the pet thats infected. You may also want to get yourself and other members of your family tested for lyme disease.
So what can you do to help prevent your dog from contracting lyme disease?
Can A Dog Contract Lyme Disease
Yes. Talk to a Veterinarian about giving the Lyme diseasevaccine to your dog as a preventive measure, there are some whobelieve it may be effective and others who do not. It is notnecessary except in certain areas of the US, so speak to a Vetabout its use.Symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs include: # High fever # Swollenlymph nodes # Lameness # Loss of appetite # Inflamed joints #Lethargy Dogs get Lyme disease from very small deer ticks thatcarry the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. Preventive tickrepellents and systemic medicines that provide protection againstticks should be used for dogs in areas where these ticks carryingthe bacteria are found such as dogs along the Atlantic coast, thosein New England states, in Oregon and California, and someMidwestern states. Treatment for infected dogs is usuallyantibiotics or antimicrobial agents.
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Most Of The Tick Control Products We Use Don’t Repel Ticks
There are many good options for flea and tick preventatives on the market. There’s the Lyme vaccine. There’s the more old-school route of tick collars. And there are perhaps the most commonly used monthly topical and oral options.
If you’re one of the countless pet owners who gives their dog a chewable medication or squirts a preventative oil on their skin, you might be surprised to learn that neither of those tick control tactics actually repel the little bloodsuckers from your dog’s body.
“Owners come to us and say, ‘Well, you know, we’re using this flea and stuff, but we still see ticks on our dog,'” recalls Bloom, who practices veterinary medicine in a heavily wooded section of New Jersey. “Most of these flea and tick products will not actually repel the tick, will not keep the tick from walking onto your dog, and will not keep the tick from biting your dog. What they’ll do is they’ll kill the tick after the tick has bitten.”
And it turns out, that’s perfectly fine.
“If a tick bites your dog, it can transmit the bacteria, but only if it stays attached,” Bloom elaborates. “If the tick is killed with less than 24 hours attachment to your dog, it won’t transmit disease.”
If you’re concerned about ticks hitching a ride into your house, though, there are some products that do physically repel ticks a tick collar, for example. But Goldstein argues that’s not always in your family’s best interest.
How To Know If Your Dog Has Lyme Disease
Lyme disease, also known as canine borrelia, is a pathology that transmit ticks of the Ixodes type, infected by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorfer. It is one of the most common parasitic conditions in the world. If treated in time, this condition does not represent a serious danger for the pet. However if timely care is not received, infection can affect the joints, kidneys, heart or nervous system, complicating significantly the health of your animal.
In this OneHowTo.com article, we explain how to know if your dog has Lyme disease, which includes the symptoms, treatment and prognosis of this condition.
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How Is Lyme Disease Treated In Dogs
Breathe easy: if caught in time, Lyme disease can be easily treated in dogs. The treatment includes antibiotics for a duration of usually for at least 30 days, as well as supportive medication if needed, Dr. Muller tells us. In order of use, those antibiotics are typically doxycycline, amoxicillin, followed by azithromycin. At times, dogs may need longer durations or more rounds of antibiotic treatments. Depending on how long they were ill, your pooch may also need therapy and treatments for individual organs or systems that have been affected by Lyme, especially the heart, nerves, joints, and kidneys.
Reducing Future Lyme Disease Risks
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Is There A Lyme Disease Vaccine For Dogs Can All Dogs Take The Vaccine
There are 4 Lyme vaccines available in the United States for dogs. Lyme vaccination is considered a lifestyle vaccine, i.e. not all dogs need it, and the decision to vaccinate is an individual one and is not for all dogs.
The Lyme vaccine works by sterilizing the bacteria in the gut of the tick, preventing transmission of bacteria to the dog if they are ever exposed. Lyme vaccines appear to prevent illness in 60%86% dogs that are vaccinated, but not consistently in all dogs, and not for a very long duration of immunity.To ensure the vaccine provides optimum protection Dr. Wooten notes, your dog will receive two initial injections of the vaccine, two-four weeks apart, and then either annual or biannual boosters to maintain immunity.
While most dogs are tolerant of the Lyme disease vaccine, all dogs are different and may need another form of prevention. According to an article in Todays Veterinary Practice, Golden Retrievers should not receive the Lyme vaccine because of a genetic predisposition to develop Lyme nephritis, an inflammatory kidney disease. Fortunately, if proper tick prevention is utilized, vaccination should not be necessary. However, your veterinarian will help you determine the best form of Lyme disease prevention based on your dogs age, breed, size, any potential pre-existing conditions, and their overall health.
What Is Lyme Disease In Dogs
Lyme disease is also referred to as Lyme borreliosis, a bacterial illness that certain species of infected ticks can transmit to humans, dogs and other animals.
Since ticks dont fly or jump, they make contact with their host by lurking on the tips of long grass or bush, then quickly grabbing onto your dog when he walks by. He then crawls on to his body to look for a place to bite.
An infected tick carries the spiral-shaped bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, then bites a dog or person, transmitting the virus through the bloodstream.
Once its entered the bloodstream, the bacteria can reach different parts of the body and result in problems with specific areas or organs, including joints, as well as general illness. The disease can be transmitted after a tick has been attached to a dog for 24 to 48 hours.
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