Lexus423 wrote:I would go to your vet and check. Im not sure how they would detect lyme disease, but make sure you get a lyme disease vaccine!
Also try using Frontline Plus, my 7 month old GSP came home with ticks 3 straight days last month. I applyed the frontline and I have not found or pulled off any since.
airmedic1 wrote:We took our three dogs camping with us last week and allowed them to roam the area. They came back covered with ticks, both wood and deer types. When we returned home I put Bio-Spot on them and have been pulling ticks as I find them. (I know I should have put the Bio-Spot on before we went but I didn’t think of it)
I’m concerned they may have been exposed to Lyme disease. I had it a few years ago and felt terrible until I was prescribed antibiotics. My recovery was quick and dramatic.
I plan on contacting my vet tomorrow and discussing this with him but do you think they should be put on prophylactic antibiotics?
I am not a Vet but I live in the absolute highest risk area for Lyme in the US. I would not go crazy. Ehrlichiosis from a tick worries me more than Lyme.
1) Nebraska is a very low risk state for contracting Lyme disease. Check the CDC website.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/LYME/ld_Incidence.htm
2) Not all Deer ticks carry the bacteria, even in very high risk areas only about 50% of the ticks carry it.
3) Only about 3-5% of dogs that are bitten with a Deer tick that is infected actually get sick. So if you assume that 25% of the Ticks have Lyme and the Risk is 5%, then 1.25 bites out of 100 result in the illness.
4) Dogs do not get the illness like people do. It is much more mild than you are lead to believe.
5) The vaccine is not worth it.
It is always a good idea to chat with your vet though.