What's the real threat of Lyme disease to my dog? Should I worry?

The simple answer to this question is yes. There are always pros and cons to giving a vaccine, but the lyme vaccine appears to be relatively safe and is about 87% effective (keep in mind that no vaccine is 100% effective). However, it is only recommended if you are in a region where lyme disease is known to be. Also, the best advice regarding prevention of lyme disease remains good tick prevention (anti-tick ointment and collars). I hope that helps.

If where you live has a problem with Lyme disease, then yes there is a concern. That being said, if she is up to date on her tick treatments, then it should work to kill the tick before something like Lyme disease can be transmitted. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

I would not be overly concerned with one tick, especially if he had his vaccination. We can, however, depending on your geographical location have other diseases (such as rocky mountain spotted fever or anaplasmosis or ehrlichia. These aren't extremely common but are possible. If you notice any lethargy/decreased appetite or lameness in Champ then I would recommend bringing him in to the vet for an examination and letting them know about the tick exposure. I would also talk to your vet about starting a good tick preventative to prevent ticks in the future.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are a couple of drug companies that make a Lyme vaccine. Some are better than others. None are 100% protective. The Merek NOBIVAV is a good vaccine about 80% effective compared to other companies. Each company is labeled a bit differently for the youngest age to start the vaccine series, I usually recommend 12 weeks or older. I recommend the Lyme vaccine with a good oral tick preventative in Lyme endemic areas Hope this helps!

There is a lot of controversy over Lyme. I would recommend keeping Buddy on flea/tick prevention all year round. Dogs with Lyme disease can get kidney failure but this is rare. Adopting an older dog is a great thing to do and I wouldn't stress over Lyme disease as any dog can get it if they get bit by a tick. Here is a website with information about Lyme disease in dogs: http://pawbark.com/lyme-disease-dogs/ I would also discuss with your veterinarian about the Lyme vaccination for future tick bites. Thank you for using PetCoach.

Ticks can certainly be a problem and transmit a number of diseases including Lyme disease and others. Ticks transmit diseases by attaching to the skin and need to remain attached for a period of time to transmit disease. You do not need to worry about the tick that fell off any more than other ticks, but if you have seen other ticks on Laser, then you should look into prevention options. There are a large number of tick control products that work very well to help prevent disease transmission by ticks. I am attaching a link to more information for you below. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?articleid=61 I would recommend discussing with your veterinarian which tick diseases you see in your area and get their recommendation for a good tick preventative product for your area. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

No. Lyme disease can only be transmitted via the bite of an infected tick. Be sure to perform tick checks whenever Pepper returns from outside and use a monthly tick preventive. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-check-your-pet-for-fleas-and-ticks/ https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/lyme-disease/