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My Pet World: The threat of tick-borne diseases growing across the U.S.

By Steve Dale, Tribune Content Agency on

There are more ticks in more places than ever, and they continue to spread. Veterinary parasitologist Dr. Michael Dryden, of Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine-Manhattan, calls it a "tick explosion." And the fallout is tick disease.

Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are likely very under-diagnosed in dogs, Dryden says.

"It's important to know if your dog might even have undetected tick disease," says Dryden, who adds that he's a big believer in testing for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases (two types of Anaplasma and two types of Ehrlichia) using a blood test that simultaneously detects heartworm. Any veterinarian can offer this test, called the Snap 4Way Plus.

Symptoms of Lyme in dogs may be non-specific, broad and/or subtle, and can be either mistaken for other illnesses or go undetected, Dryden notes. When dogs feel generally ill, their owners may not notice. Dogs, after all, can't tell us they're sick.

Internal medicine specialist Dr. Carrie White, of Pearl City, HI, describes additional symptoms, such as lameness (often in one leg one day, and then curiouslyin a different leg a few days later). Dogs with Lyme may run a fever, have swollen lymph nodes, or very rarely develop Lyme nephritis, which can lead to kidney failure.

The best offense against tick disease turns out to be a good defense, based on these four steps:

 

1. Modify your dog's environment. If you know there are ticks in the yard, discourage them by creating an unfavorable tick environment. Ticks don't thrive on concrete. They have a particular affinity for bushes and low-hanging trees, so keep these plants away from your house. Perhaps most importantly, discourage wildlife, especially deer, from coming on your property.

2. Conduct tick checks. Check your dog(s) for ticks daily. Tick disease isn't immediately transmitted, and can take a few days to infect a dog. If you spot a tick, wear gloves to remove it. Using tweezers or a tick-removing tool (available online and at many pet stores), pull the pest straight out (without twisting). Save the tick so your veterinarian can identify it.

Of course, since many dogs have long hair, relying on the human eye to detect ticks is hardly an exact science. Even when engorged with blood, some ticks are quite small and hard to see.

3. Use tick-repelling products. "Tick products purchased with veterinary input do a very nice job; some even deter the ticks from getting on the pet in the first place," says Dr. Michael Paul, past president of the Companion Animal Parasite Council.

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