Soaring August temperatures will soon meet their match! Fall is coming! Time to break out the light
jackets, book your apple picking trips and begin the countdown for the holidays! Although your dogs will
love the cool weather strolls, and romping through the leaves there is one danger we must watch out
for, ticks!

Ticks are an insect, and are related to spiders. There are two kinds of ticks, soft and hard, both kinds
can carry infectious diseases. Although there are over 800 species, there are 9 varieties that affect
the animal world. Ticks attach to various mammals by digging their heads into the skin and inserting
a feeding tube, as they drink blood from the host it turns into an opportune time for diseases to be
transmitted. These creepy crawlies love hanging out in high grasses, in the woods, and pretty much
everywhere else outdoors. They are incredibly resilient insects that can survive in any environment; they
can even survive for hours in water!

Lyme disease is unfortunately one of the most common diseases seen in the animal world. Lyme
disease can be transmitted into the host where it could lie dormant for years. Some animals do not
show any symptoms while others begin to show symptoms soon after being bitten. Symptoms of Lyme
disease include “shifting leg lameness” where the dog limps on one leg, then switches to another after
a couple days. This lameness could also be intermittent, seen for a couple days then not seen again for
weeks. Eventually symptoms, if Lyme is not treated, could include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, lack of
appetite and permanent kidney damage.

Animals are also susceptible to other tick borne diseases such as Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain
spotted fever. This is why we recommend once monthly flea and tick preventative. Products such
as Frontline and Revolution are applied on the skin along the back of the neck. Centreville Animal
Hospital also carries the Lyme vaccine which prevents lyme disease transmission. Please ask any
of our Centreville Animal Hospital staff if you have questions about Ticks, Tick borne diseases, and
preventatives.