Sub Categories
| Any contributions and/or suggestions for site content? Please use the Contact Page |
_______________________
Do you live in an
area where ticks abound? Not all ticks carry the bacteria that causes
Lymes Disease, but if you have a dog, then the subject of Lymes Disease in
dogs should be of great concern to you, particularly if there are deer
ticks in your area.
In order to prevent, or minimise the likelihood of, Lymes Disease in your dog, therefore, there are steps you can take:
1. Keep your dog away from tick infested areas as much as possible. Long grass often harbours ticks in areas that are tick prone, so stick to short grass when walking your dog. And keep your own backyard mowed, especially if you live near to bush land or fields that tend to have long grass.
2. Use a flea preventative, as flea prevention products often discourage ticks fairly well, too.
3. Examine your dog for ticks regularly, and if you see any, learn how to remove a tick from a dog so you can remove any ticks from your dog without delay.
And if all of this
fails, and you suspect your dog may be developing Lymes Disease, get your
dog immediately to the vet. Lymes Disease develops VERY fast, and within
two or three days your dog can go from showing the very first symptoms
of Lymes Disease, to having permanent nerve damage and debilitating
recurrent joint pain.
So what are the symptoms of Lyme Disease in dogs that you need to look out for?
1. A sore paw or foot, when no injury has occurred is often one of the very first symptoms of Lymes Disease.
2. If your dog starts limping and the limp appears to be getting rapidly worse, this could very well be one of the early symptoms of Lymes Disease in dogs.
3. If, as well as a limp, your dog develops a raised temperature, your dog may well be afflicted with Lymes Disease - of course, you may not know this to be the case until your visit your vet (unless you routinely take your dog's temperature at home).
If you observe any of the above symptoms, and
there is a possibility your dog has been exposed to ticks, get your dog
to your vet immediately.
Lymes Disease in dogs
can progress extremely rapidly, and can cause permanent joint and nerve
damage, including damage to your dog's heart muscle, if left untreated
even for a few days.
So you see, treatment for Lymes Disease is imperative, once your dog has
contracted this disease.
Early treatment may well constitute effective cures for Lymes Disease, but delay could be extremely serious, and chronic Lymes Disease will be very distressing for your dog - recurrent pain in the joints, as well as other damage.
How to Remove a
Tick from a Dog
Place the tips of
tweezers or edges of other removal devices around the area where the
mouthparts and head of the tick enter the skin. With a steady, slow,
motion, pull the tick away from the skin or slide the removal device
along the skin, pulling the tick away as you do so.