Protect Your Pet From Lyme Disease This Summer
Along with the joys of summer — hours of daylight, warm weather, tons of playtime with your pets — comes the threat of Lyme disease.
The Lyme disease virus, which is spread via some types of ticks, can infect dogs and cats just as it can infect humans.
Linda Lobes, president of the Michigan Lyme Disease Association, says the first way to prevent Lyme disease in your pet is to apply a tick-killing topical cream to his or her coat before heading outside. “[Then] always do tick checks on your animals after they return from outdoors,” she says. “Removing ticks properly and promptly also helps to reduce transmission.” Keeping grass short in your yard can also reduce the risk of pet coming in contact with a virus-carrying tick. Symptoms of the disease in dogs and cats are different than they are in humans; cats may exhibit lameness, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, and unusual breathing while dogs that develop Lyme disease may experience lameness, fatigue, kidney damage or failure, heart disorders, and personality changes. Lobes says a vet will be able to diagnose and treat Lyme Disease in your pet, but that preventive methods are the best way of helping your pooch and kitty stay healthy this summer.
Visit the Pet Spot section of the Lyme Disease Association web site for more information.
