Small Talk - Spring 2018

T he disease exists in many parts of Europe, including the UK. Much research has been done over the last few years, into the prevalence of the disease, and it has been thought, and even demonstrated, that up to 2.3% of dogs that were found to have ticks had ticks infected with the borrelia bacteria. This reflects the possible prevalence in dogs but also demonstrates the huge risk to pet owners and people in general. Ticks are not the only reservoir of the bacteria - rodents and other animals such as deer will also carry the bacteria, which the ticks will feed on and then become infected themselves. The bacteria will spread to the salivary gland of the tick, and be spread once the tick bites a host animal, such as a dog. Cats do not get Lymes disease as they are thought to be more resistant. Signs that dogs will exhibit are as a result of the disease spreading to the lymphatic system and causing an immune response. Signs that may be noticed by owners include lethargy, a high temperature and a lameness which seems to shift between limbs which is due to a polyarthritis. Treatment of the disease is possible, with at least a 4 week course of antibiotics, but this is not always successful, and as in people, symptoms can persist for some time, if not indefinitely. Prevention is surely the best option, and prophylactics that repel the tick may be better than those that just kill the ticks, because it must be remembered that it only takes 48 hours for a tick to potentially spread the disease, and many products may not kill the tick within 48 hours. There many different preventative preparations available, so discuss with your vet what product is most appropriate for your pet. It is always recommended that tick prophylaxis is instigated in areas where there is a high deer population, but especially where animals are travelling abroad where there is a much higher tick prevalence. This article aims to inform the reader about canine borreliosis, but lymes disease in humans is a current and important topic. Vets will diagnose the disease based on clinical examination and blood testing. Blood testing alone will often only show that an animal has been exposed to the disease and does not necessarily have it at the time of testing. It must be pointed out that it only takes 48 hours for an infected tick to transmit the disease. small talk 11 Lymes disease or Lyme borreliosis is caused by bacteria from the Borrelia species, and it is transmitted by some ticks.