April is Lyme Disease Prevention Month and Braxton's Animal Works encourages all pet parents to educate themselves about the dangers of this disease. Lyme disease is harder to spot in animals, so it is important to understand what it is and how it is contracted.
Transmitted by ticks, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, Borrelia Burgdorferi, is actually spread through tick bites. That means if your pet is infected, you can contract the disease if a tick bites him and then you. This works in the reverse too. It is imperative that you check for ticks on both you and your pets after outdoor activities.
As we start spending more time outdoors during spring and into summer, we have to be aware of the risk of tick bites. Gardening, camping, hiking, and just playing outdoors are all great spring and summertime activities, but it is important to make tick protection part of your outdoor plans as well. To see more about tick protection, click here.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease:
- limping
- fever
- loss of appetite
Animals display the same symptoms of lyme disease as humans, but because they cannot always communicate their problems it is important to check for ticks if you see any of the previous symptoms.
Braxton's Animal Works carries a product called Lyme-Aid Diagnostic tick Testing Kit that retails for $7.49. Use this convenient kit to find out if a tick is a carrier for lyme disease before symptoms appear! Use the patented tick remover to remove the tick from you and your pet and submit it for testing for a $39.95 fee. Results are quick and 99% accurate providing valuable information for your doctor or veterinarian. For more information on this product, click here.
For answers to all of your Lyme disease questions, check out lymediseaseguide.org or click here.