Following the lead of
our colleague, Dr. Miller, we will take a closer look at Lyme
disease, our area's most common tick-borne disease. Lyme disease
(named for the Connecticut town) has been around for over a century
but did not gain public notoriety until the 1980s. The Northeastern
US and upper Midwest represent disease “hotspots,” but with
warming temperatures, the disease is spreading. While we see
scattered cases throughout our clinic's areas, the Goose Lake region
especially represents a regional/local hotbed. Lyme disease is
caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by
Ixodes ticks, in our area better known as the deer tick.
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| Map of the State of Illinois Canine Lyme Disease Prevalence for 2014. (CAPC) |
Lyme disease, or
Borreliosis, while also a well-known human disease, manifests itself
differently in our canine patients. Greater than 90% of dogs who are
infected with the organism are not “sick” because of it and are
asymptomatic. In dogs, the disease may not manifest itself for weeks
to months after infection and they may present with signs of
arthritis or perhaps a fever. Fortunately, symptoms of the disease
respond quickly to a course of appropriate antibiotics. Although
rare, the most serious potential long-term effect is kidney disease.
Due to this potential risk, in some cases we may recommend a
urinalysis be checked to look for any possible indications of kidney
involvement. Lastly, while cats may become infected with the
organism, they appear more resistant to its effects, do not develop
clinical signs and currently, the disease is not regarded to be of
clinical concern in our feline patients.
As noted earlier, the
deer tick transmits the bacterium, causing infection. There are
three life stages involved: larvae, nymph and adult, that utilized
various-sized 'hosts' for their feeding (blood sucking!). These
hosts range from small (white-footed mouse) to large (dogs, deer,
humans) depending on the life stage of the tick. Not surprisingly,
the mouse and deer are quite prevalent in our area. Whit the tick
feeds on its host, it requires a minimum of 48 hours to pass the
bacterium, thus, if the tick is removed within 48 hours of
attachment, the bacterium cannot be transmitted and the host will not
get the disease.
Diagnosis of Lyme
disease is confirmed through blood testing. When performing our
recommended yearly heartworm testing, the test also checks for three
tick-borne diseases: Lyme, Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis, the latter
two being less common in our are. Remember, simply having a positive
result does not constitute illness. However, if the patient is
exhibiting joint pain and maybe a fever, we may prescribe a course of
antibiotic therapy. Treatment does not eliminate the organism, it
will remain in a low latent state, similar to the 90% of infected
dogs who do not experience illness.
Tick control is the
hallmark of Lyme disease prevention. Ticks can be active year-round
and continuous protection is recommended. We carry and utilize
monthly topical applications or a new chewable monthly medication,
all of which kill ticks before they can transmit disease. In
addition to these products, vaccination offers additional protection
against Lyme disease. The vaccine inactivates the bacterium within
the tick. While we do not vaccinate ever canine patient, it is
recommended for patients who reside in regional hotspots, those
individuals whose lifestyle is higher risk such as hunting dogs, or
individuals who travel to other geographical hotspots such as
Wisconsin.
Remember, prevention is
the key to protecting both our canine companions AND their human
friends, as we take to the woods and fields in our area!
Click here to find more information about CAPC prevalence maps for pet parasites.
