Lyme disease is serious business all year for pets and for humans. Since it’s National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to refamiliarize yourself with all you need to know about it to protect your pets and your two-legged family members, as well!

How is Lyme Disease Spread?

Lyme disease is spread by black-legged ticks commonly known as deer ticks similarly to how heartworms are spread by mosquitoes. The ticks are vectors, meaning that they don’t cause the disease directly, but they can carry the nasty little bacterium that does: Borrelia burgdorferi. Deer ticks aren’t the most common ticks in the Piedmont region of NC (lone star ticks top the list), but their presence in any number is reason to exercise caution.

Click here to check out this great map tool that reports confirmed cases of Lyme disease in dogs in 2018!

The reason Lyme disease can spread to pets and humans so easily is because ticks thrive in any environment with grass or shrubbery and especially in wooded areas. They hatch by the thousands. When they aren’t feeding on a host, they spend most of their time hanging out on leaves and grass waiting for their next meal to brush by and pick them up.

Once bitten by a tick carrying Borrelia burgdorferi, the good news is that it usually takes at least 24 hours for the bacteria to be transmitted to a pet or person. It isn’t instant.

Lyme Disease Prevention

Lacey, an adoptable Great Dane/ Lab mix from Great Dane Friends, plays in grass without fear of Lyme disease thanks to her tick prevention.

First thing’s first: give monthly flea and tick prevention to dogs and cats. The thing to note is that when a tick bites a pet who is current on their monthly preventive, the tick will die. Because it takes at least a full day of feeding for Lyme disease to be transmitted by a tick, this method of prevention is very effective. Just be sure not to give your dog’s preventive to your cat because some flea and tick products can be deadly to kitties while being totally safe for dogs. Stick to species-specific products.

Next, keep your yard trimmed and tidy. The more overgrowth you have with grass or shrubbery, the happier the ticks will be with their home. Don’t spark joy for ticks.

Lastly, get in the habit of checking your pets and yourself for ticks after a day spent outdoors. Outside time is important for us and our dogs to get exercise, so it shouldn’t be avoided. We just have to be sure we’re looking for and removing any ticks quickly.

Symptoms & Treatment

Lyme disease symptoms typically take at least a couple of months to present from the time of the offending tick bite. Some of the symptoms can masquerade as other issues initially, so it’s a good idea to be familiar with these.

• Fever
• Swollen joints
• Lameness
• Joint inflammation can migrate from one joint to another
• Lack of appetite
• Decreased activity

If your pet has these symptoms, see your vet. If you recall a tick bite on them, don’t forget to mention that during your appointment. Lyme disease is usually treated successfully with antibiotics.

Questions about tick prevention or other illnesses transmitted by them? Ask us!

*Dog photo courtesy of Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love – Great Dane rescue in NC and SC

One of the reasons that cats often end up in need of emergency care is simply because of a well-intentioned mistake. Many cat owners have guessed that they could use the same flea and tick prevention on their cat as they can on their small dog. Unless a product has been specifically formulated for both species, this just is not true. Many flea and tick preventatives are highly toxic to cats.

As we are approaching warmer weather and the abundance of fleas and ticks that come with spring, this is important information to share with all those who are owned by cats. An ounce of toxicity prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Pyrethrins Can Be Lethal to Cats

Pyrethrins are the active ingredients in many brands of tick and flea preventatives for dogs and other household insecticides. They are derived from chrysanthemums. Pyrethroids are the synthetic version. Other common names for these substances that might be found on ingredient labels include:

• Allethrin
• Deltamethrin
• Cypermethrin
• Permethrin
• Cyphenothrin

While pyrethrins have long been used safely on dogs, cats do not metabolize them the same way. This is why cat owners must be very careful not to mix up their cat’s and dog’s medications. It is also a good precaution to separate your dog from his or her kitty friend immediately after application of topical preventative. This is just until it has dried and cannot rub off on the cat.

Symptoms in Cats

Become familiar with the symptoms…just in case.

• Ataxia
• Facial or ear twitching
• Muscle tremors
• Seizures
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

What To Do

If your cat has had a pyrethrin-containing product put on it, treat the situation as an emergency! If you can easily wash off any topical product that is still wet on the skin, do it. Immediately go to your vet for treatment. A cat already displaying neurological symptoms will need to be hospitalized and medications will likely be given to prevent further seizures or stop muscle spasms. He or she will be monitored closely and may be put on IV fluids. Without veterinary help, there is risk of death.

Not sure if it’s safe to use a product you already have? Don’t hesitate to call or visit us! We’re here to help, and that includes education as well as treatments.

Cooties, bugs, worms. No matter what you call them, parasites are the lowest of the low. They suck blood, steal nutrients, and spread disease. They are disgusting, and it’s easy to understand why no one wants to think their dog or cat could possibly be infested.

Yet parasites are a fact of life for many pets, a fact of life we can change. Parasites can live in the fur – ticks, fleas, even lice. They can live in the intestinal tract – whipworms, roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. They can even live in the heart and lungs. At times, they can be a nuisance, but in many cases, parasites can cause illness and even life-threatening illness. Many of these parasites can also be spread to humans.

Why are pets so susceptible to these critters?

In large part, the answer lies in how our pets define “fun”. Rolling on the ground, nibbling who-knows-what in the back yard, associating with other pets out on walks. Even our indoor-only cats are at risk when they hunt the stray insect that runs through the house in the middle of the night or get bitten by a bloodthirsty mosquito that has followed us inside.

Preventative Care

Fortunately, most parasites can be prevented. Most monthly heartworm preventatives will eliminate several species of intestinal parasites. An annual or semi-annual fecal will screen for those parasites that the preventatives don’t protect against. There are a number of monthly flea and tick preventatives, including chewable tablets. These are important to reduce the risk of diseases like Lyme disease and Ehrlichiosis, which are transmitted by ticks.

Parasites are an often ignored, grossly misunderstood, painfully under appreciated threat to the health of our pets. Even the indoor-only pets! Annual screening and year-round use of monthly prevention can go a long way to ensure our pets lead healthy, happy lives.

-Dr. Ginger Templeton, DVM