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Tick-Borne Diseases On The Rise -- Protect Your Pet And Your Family
(ARA) - Summertime is tick time, as people and their pets take to the great outdoors, enjoying camping, hiking, parks or even their own backyards. After spending time outdoors, it's important to check both your family and your dog for ticks.
Ticks are known to spread Lyme disease, but are also capable of carrying multiple tick-borne diseases, including canine Anaplasmosis found in the black-legged tick. These diseases create a more dangerous outdoor environment for people and their four-legged friends.
During clinic visits, veterinarians are seeing more dogs suffering from co-infection, making a very troubling situation. As dogs suffer from symptoms brought on by more than one tick-borne disease, their immune systems may become weaker making their recovery more difficult.
Dr. Matt Eberts, a veterinarian in Brainerd, Minn., says that 40 percent of the dogs he examines test positive for Lyme disease. Even more troubling, though, is that 50 percent of dogs entering his clinic show signs of canine Anaplasmosis. The symptoms of this disease are often arthritis-like with multiple painful joints, among other indicators. "There's really no way for pet owners to know what's wrong with their dogs without getting their dogs checked regularly," says Eberts.
Organizations such as the national Lyme Disease Association (LDA) have been educating people about the potential dangers of ticks for years and hope what is learned in the veterinary community opens some eyes. "Lyme disease is a huge concern, but we want people to know there are several other tick-borne diseases out there that can be just as harmful," says Pat Smith, president of LDA.
Most tick-borne illnesses are difficult to diagnose based on symptoms alone, according to Dr. Stephen Levy, a Durham, Conn. veterinarian who has been on the forefront of tick-borne disease research for the past two decades. Many dogs exhibit no outward evidence of Lyme disease infection or the lesser known tick-borne diseases.
"With the potential range of symptoms brought on by Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections, I encourage pet owners to make testing a standard part of their dogs' veterinary exams," says Levy. An in-clinic, diagnostic test is available so dog owners can learn if their pets have contracted a tick-born disease such as Lyme disease or canine Ehrlichiosis, yet another disease transmitted from ticks, prior to leaving the clinic. The test also screens for heartworm, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
While getting your dog tested is important for your pet's health, it can also be important for your family's health. Smith believes dogs can serve as sentinels for people. "With their furry coats, proximity to the ground, and propensity to roll in leaves and other groundcover, dogs are many times more likely to come in contact with ticks than their owners," she notes.
For more information on tick-borne disease, visit dogsandticks.com or LymeDiseaseAssociation.org.
Courtesy of ARA Content
Ticks are known to spread Lyme disease, but are also capable of carrying multiple tick-borne diseases, including canine Anaplasmosis found in the black-legged tick. These diseases create a more dangerous outdoor environment for people and their four-legged friends.
During clinic visits, veterinarians are seeing more dogs suffering from co-infection, making a very troubling situation. As dogs suffer from symptoms brought on by more than one tick-borne disease, their immune systems may become weaker making their recovery more difficult.
Dr. Matt Eberts, a veterinarian in Brainerd, Minn., says that 40 percent of the dogs he examines test positive for Lyme disease. Even more troubling, though, is that 50 percent of dogs entering his clinic show signs of canine Anaplasmosis. The symptoms of this disease are often arthritis-like with multiple painful joints, among other indicators. "There's really no way for pet owners to know what's wrong with their dogs without getting their dogs checked regularly," says Eberts.
Organizations such as the national Lyme Disease Association (LDA) have been educating people about the potential dangers of ticks for years and hope what is learned in the veterinary community opens some eyes. "Lyme disease is a huge concern, but we want people to know there are several other tick-borne diseases out there that can be just as harmful," says Pat Smith, president of LDA.
Most tick-borne illnesses are difficult to diagnose based on symptoms alone, according to Dr. Stephen Levy, a Durham, Conn. veterinarian who has been on the forefront of tick-borne disease research for the past two decades. Many dogs exhibit no outward evidence of Lyme disease infection or the lesser known tick-borne diseases.
"With the potential range of symptoms brought on by Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections, I encourage pet owners to make testing a standard part of their dogs' veterinary exams," says Levy. An in-clinic, diagnostic test is available so dog owners can learn if their pets have contracted a tick-born disease such as Lyme disease or canine Ehrlichiosis, yet another disease transmitted from ticks, prior to leaving the clinic. The test also screens for heartworm, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
While getting your dog tested is important for your pet's health, it can also be important for your family's health. Smith believes dogs can serve as sentinels for people. "With their furry coats, proximity to the ground, and propensity to roll in leaves and other groundcover, dogs are many times more likely to come in contact with ticks than their owners," she notes.
For more information on tick-borne disease, visit dogsandticks.com or LymeDiseaseAssociation.org.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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