Canine Lyme Disease

Image of a tick.

There are several options for protecting dogs against canine Lyme disease. One option is vaccination, which may be the best choice for pets who live in an endemic area. Annual vaccination is an affordable means of protecting pets against this disease, which can have serious health implications. Some dogs that are affected by canine Lyme disease are never fully “free” from this disease and may continue to exhibit symptoms even with treatment. Vaccination prior to infection provides the best possible outcome. If a vaccine is administered, a booster is necessary two to three weeks after the initial vaccine; then annual booster immunizations are recommended.

If your adult dog has never been vaccinated against Lyme disease, it is important to first test to see if your dog has been exposed to Lyme disease. This test is often performed at the same time that a dog is being tested for heart worms as there is a test kit that checks for both; results are available within 15 minutes of testing. If the test is positive, your veterinarian will recommend a follow-up test at the reference laboratory to see if there is an active infection.

Without proactive treatment, most dogs will eventually develop serious kidney problems and, in many cases, renal failure. Symptoms of renal failure include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, weight loss, increased urination and thirst at first, then it may change to not drinking enough. Even with treatment, however, not all joint pain symptoms may resolve. In fact, some pets continue to experience pain even after bacteria is eradicated from the system. Consequently, prevention through vaccination is important.

Sources:

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Reported Lyme disease cases by state, 1993-2007.

J. Lidicker MA et al, Lyme Disease Cases in the United States Projected Through 2012: Time Series Model Identification and Forecasts of the Federal CDC Data. World International Lyme Disease Emergency Rescue (WILDER) Network, Inc, Published 9/11/2005.

Location

Our location and directions to our clinic

Office Hours

Due to staffing shortages, medical questions and prescription refills called in after 12pm on Friday cannot be processed until the following Monday.

Healthy Pet Veterinary Clinic

Monday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

8am-Noon Open As Normal / Noon-4p No doctor in the clinic, but we are open for boarding admits and previously processed medication refill pickup.

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonials

Read What Our Clients Say

  • "This clinic is very clean, friendly, and gentle. My Guinea Pig Bear had a tumor and they have worked hard to care for him and follow up to be sure he is healing well from surgery removal as well as be available to answer any questions I have.I was even able to set up an affordable payment plan for his medical bills. All in all a very trustworthy Vet Clinic."
    Kaija Swift
  • "Very nice and clean clinic with helpful staff. We used them to board our rabbit while we were on vacation. They have a dedicated rabbit room with multiple large cages. Rabbits get daily individual 'out-of-cage' exercise time."
    Tim Goihl
  • "Fantastic clinic..everyone there ..they take the best care of princess my cat lol.highly recommend."
    mr potato head