Lyme disease, seasonal allergies impact pets
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Lyme disease and seasonal allergies are common reasons for trips to the vet this time of year. Local vets encourage pet owners to continue good grooming practices, to put their dogs on monthly flea and tick medication, and to get the annual Lyme disease vaccine as added protection.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
It’s Lyme disease and allergy season in southwestern Pennsylvania. Dr. Nancy Kerr, who owns a veterinary practice in Carmichaels, recommends owners wipe their dog’s paws after their pet spends time frolicking through autumn leaves or adventuring in tall grass.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter Ticks and mold, which can cause Lyme disease and seasonal allergies, respectively, can often be found beneath fallen leaves. Dog owners should wipe their dog’s paws after spending time outdoors to mitigate allergy symptoms, and ensure their pet is on prescription flea and tick medication to prevent Lyme disease.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Ticks and mold, which can cause Lyme disease and seasonal allergies, respectively, can often be found beneath fallen leaves. Dog owners should wipe their dog’s paws after spending time outdoors to mitigate allergy symptoms, and ensure their pet is on prescription flea and tick medication to prevent Lyme disease.
The first creepy crawly that comes to mind during spooky season is spiders, but there’s another nightmarish eight-legged critter that haunts the great outdoors this time of year: ticks.
Pennsylvania has led the country in the number of confirmed Lyme disease cases for the last 11 out of 12 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It’s not just humans who are impacted by tick bites, though.
Domestic animals, including dogs and cats, are also at risk for Lyme disease.
“One in 8 dogs tested in Washington County comes up positive (for Lyme disease),” said Alyssa Nemeth, vet tech at East Maiden Animal Clinic in Washington. “Right now, for our cases, we’ve seen 1,291 dogs test positive since January. That’s in the dogs that we can get people to test. I’m sure if we tested everyone who walked through the door, it would be higher.”
Cases of Lyme disease are also high in Fayette County, said Bob Leighty, office manager at Grace Veterinary Services in Lemont Furnace.
“Lyme disease, we never had in this area, ever, until about seven years ago,” Leighty said. “It just blew up here and then we started getting Lyme disease like crazy. It’s pretty bad in this area for us right now.”
Leighty said the veterinary clinic has seen at least one confirmed case of Lyme disease in pet dogs per week for the past several weeks. While some infected dogs never present symptoms, others lose their appetites, become lethargic or have fevers.
“An early sign is limping. The disease, it goes right to the joints,” Leighty said.
Like Grace Veterinary, Dr. Nancy Kerr, who owns a veterinary practice in Carmichaels, treats numerous Lyme disease cases in dogs each fall.
“They’re more at risk at this time of the year because deer ticks are coming out between October and January. I usually diagnose at least one new positive case every week, if not more,” Kerr said.
She cannot overstress the importance of prevention.
“It’s very important to use year-round flea and tick prescriptions. Don’t use over-the-counter medications; they really aren’t as effective,” Kerr said. “The best prevention is a prescription flea and tick medication all year round, plus there is a Lyme vaccine as well, just to give added protection.”
Lyme disease vaccines are available at most veterinarians and clinics throughout the region. Prevention is especially important as summer turns to fall, since the chances of dogs being bitten by ticks or developing seasonal allergies increases when they frolic through crisp autumn leaves.
“Ticks … like to be underneath leaves. When the dogs are walking through the leaves, the ticks will actually attach to the pet,” Kerr said. “The molds and things that are on the leaves, that could be a source of the allergy, with pets allergic to certain molds.”
To decrease the chances of both Lyme disease and seasonal allergies, Kerr recommends pet owners wipe their dog’s paws with a baby wipe after spending time outside, especially in high grass.
Unlike Lyme disease, which may or may not present symptoms, seasonal allergies are easier for pet owners to spot.
Dogs might become itchy, lick their paws or chew at their bellies, or experience anal gland issues, said Nemeth. Some dogs develop ear infections, rashes or dermatitis, Kerr said, adding it is important to keep up with dog’s grooming and bathing routines.
While there are Lyme disease vaccines and flea and tick treatments, there’s no way to completely prevent seasonal allergies. Nemeth said most dogs grow into their allergies, with onset around age two, and those allergies simply become part of life.
“Treatment is really just dependeent on what works for the pet,” she said.
Those treatments may include injections or prescription medications to alleviate more serious symptoms.
“If there are other, lesser symptoms, it’s kind of more of a supportive care. Hopefully the pet owner would consult their vet with the best way to treat or minimize the symptoms,” Kerr said.