Does Your Dog Need a Lyme Disease Vaccination?
Lyme disease is a painful illness that occurs when a dog is bitten by an infected tick. Thankfully, there is a vaccination available to prevent Lyme disease. However, to reduce the stress of vaccines on a dog's body, this jab is offered as a non-core vaccination — that means it's optional. So, how can you know whether your dog actually needs this vaccine? Here are three questions to ask yourself.
Do you live in a high-risk area?
Some residential areas in Australia are at greater risk of Lyme disease exposure than others. Technically, infected ticks can strike anywhere. However, maps of Lyme disease in humans cases show that the majority of tick bites occur in coastal areas, particularly on the coasts of Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. As such, if you live in or near a beach town, your dog is more likely to contract the disease, so it may be a good idea to opt for the vaccine.
Do you take a lot of walks in the woods?
Where do you like to walk your dog? If you're a city-dweller who tends to stick to urban streets and manicured parks, you have a relatively low risk of running into ticks. However, if you prefer to hike with your dog in wooded areas, you may want to consider the Lyme disease vaccine. Ticks thrive in dense, forested areas. They tend to linger in long, thick grass waiting for humans and dogs to brush past. Humans can protect themselves in the woods by wearing long trousers and using insect repellent, but there are fewer ways to keep dogs from getting bitten. There are tick prevention treatments, but they're not 100% effective. Generally, a vaccine is the best prevention for dogs who are walked in the woods.
Does your dog have kidney problems?
Lyme disease can be incredibly painful and uncomfortable for dogs, affecting their quality of life in the long-term. However, thanks to modern testing, doggy deaths from Lyme disease are less common these days. But that doesn't mean fatalities can't still happen. When dogs die from Lyme disease, the end cause is kidney failure as the disease can cause inflammation and dysfunction in a part of the kidney which filters blood. As a result, if your dog already has a weakened kidney, they may be at greater risk of dying from Lyme disease. If your dog has been suffering from kidney problems, talk to your vet about whether vaccination is right for them.
To learn more about pet vaccinations, contact a veterinarian in your area.