How to Protect Your Pet from Lyme Disease

Lyme disease can target pets as well as humans. And the ticks that carry Lyme disease just love to bite animals!Each year, 30,000 humans come down with the disease. Nobody's reporting on the pet figures, but you should take steps to protect your pet just the same.Michigan Veterinary Specialists responded to this threat by putting together a list of tips for protecting your pet against Lyme disease. Here are some steps you can take.First, you can take your pet in for a Lyme disease vaccination. These are available to pets even though there is no equivalent human vaccine on the market today.You can also ask your vet to help you prevent tick bites in the first place. This can be done through the use of tick dips, tick collars, and oral medications.You can, of course, simply opt to keep your pet indoors. This will keep them out of the heat and sun as well.Finally, you should inspect your pets for ticks whenever they do spend any time outside. This gives you the opportunity to remove ticks quickly!Watch your pet's behavior. If something seems off, don't hesitate to make a trip to the vet. Lyme disease can cause fevers, fatigue, joint pain, lethargy, a loss of appetite and difficulty walking--all behaviors that you can spot if you need to.Pets can't tell you when they aren't feeling well. It's up to you to be vigilant. Lyme disease can be fatal, so you should do everything you can do to protect your pet.