Ticks are usually found accidentally while grooming or petting your dog or cat. The best way for your pet to avoid picking up these unwanted pests is to try and keep your pets out of the bushes, fields and woods. Daily grooming with a fine toothed comb will help rid your pet of ticks.
     The longer a tick is attached to your pet the greater the risk of infection. Ticks found on pets should be removed by using tweezers to grasp the mouthparts at the skin level. We do not recommend using other methods such as crushing, burning or using vaseline to suffocate the tick as this may release the spirochete.
     Make sure to remove the entire tick because embedded parts left behind in the skin can cause infection. It is possible to submit ticks for identification and to determine if they are carriers of Lymes Disease. The ticks are sent to the Centre For Disease Control in Vancouver where laboratory testing is done.
      Ticks are capable of transmitting serious diseases to any mammalian host they feed from, including people. Ticks have a two-year, three-host life cycle. The Ixodes species to ticks here on the coast in its first larval stage finds a small mammal to parasitize - usually rodents (mice, rats etc.) which carry Borrelia burgdorferi the causative agent of Lymes disease and thereby become the infective vector. These drop off over winter and molt into nymphs in the following spring. The nymphs can feed on any mammal eg. mice, dogs, people. The nymph stage is responsible for most of the cases of Lymes disease in people. In the fall of the second year the nymphs molt into adults, which are the most important source of infection for dogs in the following spring and summer.

What is Lymes Disease?

Lymes disease or "The Great Imitator" as called by some specialists due to its ability to mimic many other diseases and its difficulty to diagnose, is caused by spirochete (borrelia burgdorferi) and is transmitted by ticks. The clinical signs of the disease vary but most commonly are lameness of one or more joints, fever, anorexia, lethargy and depression. Some of the less frequently seen problems are heart block, kidney failure and neurological changes such as seizures, aggression and behavioural changes. The skin rash representing the first stage of human Lyme disease is rare in animals.

Can Animal Owners Contract Lymes Disease From Their Pets?

It has been speculated that B. burgdorferi in the saliva or urine of infected dogs might be transmissible to humans. Experiments to test this hypothesis have failed to provide any evidence of transmission therefore our pet owners can be safely assured that they are at no increased risk (compared to other people) by owning or handling dogs or cats.

Can Lymes Disease be Treated?

Yes with certain antibiotics for extended periods, but because diagnosis is so difficult, prevention of the disease is strongly advised. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Lymes Disease Vaccination

Vaccination has been available since 1993 and is safe and effective in preventing the Lymes disease. The current recommendations are to vaccinate animals twice to three weeks apart and then annually.