Lyme Disease Outbreak Expected

The Companion Animal Parasite Council (capcvet.org) is predicting an increased risk of Lyme disease in several parts of the United States, including New Jersey. Lyme disease is a very serious, and sometimes fatal, disease which is spread by ticks in our area. An animal that has contracted Lyme disease can have very debilitating joint disease and sometimes fatal kidney disease.

At Essex Animal Hospital, we recommend dogs use Vectra 3D as a once-a-month topical tick control product. It will kill and repel fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitos, mites, and lice. We also recommend that all dogs be vaccinated against Lyme disease.

Even with proper use of Vectra 3D, a dog can still get ticks through heavy exposure. Similarly, even though the Lyme vaccine is very safe and very effective, no vaccine is considered 100% effective. Therefore, we recommend all dogs have complete tick disease prevention by using Vectra 3D every month, and being properly vaccinated against Lyme disease. By providing your dog with these two simple measures, the threat of ticks and tick related disease will be at an absolute minimum.

If you have any questions about Vectra 3D (to control external parasites) and Lyme vaccination (to prevent Lyme disease), please call us anytime.

By the way, the New Jersey Department of Health is predicting record Lyme disease in humans. Please make sure you take all precautions to protect you and your family from ticks and tick related diseases.