Protect Your Pets From Lyme Disease This Spring

Spring is on its way! Unfortunately, along with the warmer weather comes a rise in creepy-crawlers and all of the dangers they harbor. One of the worst is Lyme disease, a harmful bacterial infection carried by ticks and found across the entire United States. Lyme disease can effect many different types of animal, but The Garner Citizen reports a recent upswing in reported cases among pets over the past several years.

So how can you keep your pets safe from Lyme disease? According to the article, there are many options. Your first line of defense is spot treatment — flea and tick collars, as well as medications such as Frontline or Advantage, are powerful deterrents to varying degrees. For a more long-lasting solution, try speaking to your veterinarian. New vaccines are now available that could work for your dog.

The most important method of defense, however, lies in tender loving care for your dog. Spend a little extra time with him every day — brush him out daily, and check his skin and fur for ticks or rashes along with those belly rubs. The article states that Lyme disease can take anywhere from 18-24 hours to transmit from a tick to your dog, so that little bit of extra love and attention could save him from a lot of trouble later on.