Dogs with Lyme Disease

I was recently hired to treat a yard for ticks.  The property owners called me because at their dog’s recent checkup the veterinarian told them their beloved pet had Lyme Disease.  Alarmed by their dog’s illness, they immediately wanted to protect themselves, their son, and their dog from further risk of the disease.   

Some experts suggest that 70 percent of people and pets who get Lyme Disease are bitten by a tick in their own back yard.   In fact at Opossum Pike Veterinary Clinic in Frederick, MD they have a chart  in their office detailing how many dogs they treated for Lyme Disease each year.  In the most recent year they reported that 62 out of the 299 dogs they tested that year had Lyme Disease (20%).  On their website, they report that they are now seeing dogs with that disease who spend very little time outdoors or who live in the city.  That is because ticks can be anywhere where mammals are.  If a field mouse, squirrel, rabbit or deer ever comes into or near your yard they could be carrying disease infected ticks with them.  These vectors of Lyme Disease have been reported to be biting since early March and will continue to be a threat to public health through the fall.  Now would be a good time to treat your yard for ticks.  I would recommend a full-fledge assault to kill the adult and nymphs by having a barrier treatment in your yard and placing tick tubes in key areas of your yard.  This is not an illness to take lightly.  Many who get Lyme Disease suffer with joint pain, fatigue and other debilitating symptoms for years.