AND WHAT ABOUT THE ANIMALS?

Can animals get Lyme disease? Yes, they can. It's not unusual to find ticks on dogs, as many dog owner know, and there is always the possibility that an imbedded tick is infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. This is why it's important that the tick be removed with tweezers in the correct manner, as squeezing the tick can release more bacteria into the animal. And by using tweezers, the owner reduces the possibility of also becoming infected through an open cut or torn cuticle.

Cats don't have as high an incident rate with ticks, mainly because they are constantly grooming themselves and can easily remove ticks before they are imbedded. However, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that the possibilities are lessened, especially if a cat spends a good amount of time indoors. Dogs, on the other hand, enjoy running through wooded areas and brush where ticks are waiting to grab onto a host.

The symptoms in pets are arthritis or lameness, fatigue, sudden onset of pain, fever, loss of appetite, depression, personality changes. The greatest difference than with humans is that the animal cannot tell you what is happening, you have to be aware of the symptoms and alert to changes in your pet. If the disease is caught in the early stages, both cats and dogs recover well when treated for several weeks with an antibiotic regimen.

Horses are also prone to tick bites because of the areas they are ridden through. They show various symptoms which include lameness, swelling, pain and stiffness in the leg joints, loss of coordination, fatigue, hypersensitive skin, weight loss, behavior/personality changes, tremors, abortions, kidney inflammation, inflammation of the hoof. Remember it is possible for a horse to have Lyme disease and still test negative, so the physical signs are very important. Some common antibiotics can cause side effects and some antibiotics that can be uses successfully in humans and dogs can be dangerous for horses. Although owners often treat their horses, in this instance treatment should be done by a veterinarian.

Rabbits, cattle and many other animals can also get the disease. Lyme disease is as prevalent in animals as it is in humans in endemic areas. And if the disease isn't diagnosed it can pass from early-stage to late-stage and cause the same debilitation. A major difference between Lyme disease in animals, compared to humans, is that an EM rash isn't usually evident in animals. But like humans, an animal may test negative and still have Lyme disease. So a clinical diagnosis of an animal, especially if they live in or have visited Lyme disease endemic areas, is very important. Don't ignore the symptoms.

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