BURLINGTON VERMONT TIMES
SHELBURNE, VT 09/29/2004
Author: Brooke Chamberlain
BY BROOKE CHAMBERLAIN
vttimes@bluemoo.net
Lyme Disease A Concern For Dog Owners As Deer Tick-Borne Malady
On Increase
SHELBURNE - Dogs are not out of the woods yet! Dr. Bill Kellner,
DMV, of the Ark Veterinary Hospital in Shelburne said, "We never had to think
much about Lyme disease in Vermont until recently. Now we know ticks are here. We
have had over 15 cases of
Lyme disease in the last 12 months." Lyme disease, a commonly reported deer tick-borne
disease first identified in Lyme, CT in the 1980s, affects humans and dogs.
For unknown reasons, dogs are at a higher risk than other animals,
and exposure is greatest in wooded areas, grass lands, and on beaches. Even cities
host ticks. Parks,
bike paths, and beaches harbor ticks that attach themselves to animals, and the deer
ticks feed off the blood of their victims. Animals can get the disease even in November
or March.
Cats are at a lower risk, for reasons yet unknown.
Symptoms of Lyme disease are often mistaken for flu or arthritis.
Kellner said, "One
of the most common signs of the disease in dogs is lameness due to joint pain." He
added that some dogs also experience kidney, nerve, and heart problems. Fever may be
present. The only way to accurately diagnose Lyme disease in dogs is blood tests,
physical examinations, and getting patient history.
A Lyme vaccine is available for dogs. It works by blocking transmission
from deer tick to dog of the spirochete that causes the disease. We use Frontline," said
Kellner. "It's non-pesticide topical solution for dogs and cats that helps prevent
the disease by killing the ticks before they can transmit the disease. It takes about
24 hours from tick bite to transmission within the animal system." Kellner said
the solution destroys the Borrelia Burgdorferi bacteria. "We recommend vaccine
for all active outdoor pets."
Kellner said that not all dogs die from Lyme disease. "If
a dog gets bitten and fights off the disease, it doesn't mean they are immune. Not
all dogs die - most survive
and thrive with appropriate treatment."
The Ark Veterinary Hospital is taking part in a survey with the
Vermont Public Health Department. The hospital sends ticks to the health department
and the VPHD sends back
results to determine whether the ticks are deer ticks. The deer tick is known as the "Ixodesesscapularis" tick.
Kellner said, "We have had no cats come in with Lyme disease, but this doesn't
mean a cat can't get the disease. Cats are just less susceptible than dogs. As we are
seeing more ticks in our area, more cats will be exposed." Cats with the deer
tick-borne disease also commonly experience lameness from joint pain.
Said Kellner, "We are starting to take this more seriously. A dog died from Lyme
disease last fall."
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