Ticks and Lyme Disease

The mild winter and the early warming was good for ticks.   Unfortunately, it was not good for the animals bitten by the Lyme Disease carrying tick.  My own dog tested positive for Lyme Disease and I had to give him a course of antibiotics to prevent further damage.  I'm not an expert on the disease so if you need information about the disease, there are plenty of sources to read.  What I do know is what I've seen in our shelter dogs.  The disease can affect the joints or organs of the animals.  The important thing is that if you see unusual problems in your dog, you should have the dog examined by a veterinarian.  Recently, we had two dogs suffering from renal failure.  One guess is that the dogs had untreated Lyme disease.  A few years back there was a recall on dog food that affected dogs' kidneys.  So you can't be sure.  However, once an animal is in renal failure, euthanasia is recommended.

A simple blood test can help determine if your pet is suffering from Lyme disease.  Isn't your pet worth the expense?