Everyone wants to enjoy the great outdoors during Florida’s balmy spring weather and, unfortunately, that includes the ticks that can infect pets and people with Lyme disease. Named for Lyme, Connecticut, where the first cases were reported in 1975, Lyme disease now occurs in most of the United States. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, so our Skyway Animal Hospital team is sharing facts about this disease and explaining how to keep your pet from getting sick.

Lyme disease can result when a black-legged tick, or deer tick, bites an animal or person and infects them with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease alone can make dogs seriously ill, and complications such as arthritis and kidney failure, which can be life-threatening, can worsen their condition. Cats rarely come down with Lyme disease, because most can resist the bacterium, although the possibility of infection still exists if they play outside or another family member, two- or four-legged, carries a tick inside their home.

Incidence of Lyme disease in pets

Every year, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) publishes a map showing the prevalence of Lyme disease, along with state-by-state and county-by-county infection statistics. During the first three months of 2024, the council reported that 573 dogs of 72,049 tested for Lyme disease in Florida were infected. Florida’s overall rate of Lyme disease in dogs is about 0.8%, much less than the overall U.S. rate of 4%. 

 Still, Lyme disease is becoming more prevalent in the Southeast, partly because Florida dogs spend a lot of time outdoors hiking, hunting, or camping in wooded areas, and have an increased tick exposure. 

Preventing Lyme disease

No single strategy can ensure that Lyme disease won’t infect your pet, but a combination of approaches can be highly effective. They include:

  • Learning to check your dog or cat regularly for ticks and removing any promptly
  • Ensuring your pet is screened for tick-borne infections as part of their annual wellness checkup 
  • Using effective prevention year-round
  • Relying on commonsense prevention steps such as avoiding tall grasses, marshes, and wooded areas that ticks inhabit, keeping grass short, and not planting shrubbery close to your house

Vaccinations and tick preventives are most effective in shielding dogs against Lyme disease. Puppies can be vaccinated for Lyme disease at 12 weeks old, followed with a booster three weeks later. Dogs at high risk of infection, because they live in or visit areas with high disease rates, should continue with annual vaccinations. For complete protection, dogs also need topical or oral preventives year-round.

Lyme disease signs in pets

Lyme disease signs may not appear in pets at all, or a week or two after a tick bite, when you may see:

  • Joint pain or swelling
  • Lameness
  • High fever
  • Lethargy
  • Weakness
  • Decreased appetite
  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Increased thirst
  • Increased urination
  • Weight loss
  • Swollen legs or belly

In the unlikely event that your cat develops Lyme disease, their signs may include lameness, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, and breathing problems.

Testing and treatment in pets 

If your pet becomes sick and your veterinarian suspects Lyme disease, they will ask for a history of any recent travels and possible tick exposure, as well as signs you’ve noticed. Then, they will use a variety of tests, including blood work, to make a diagnosis. 

Antibiotics can successfully treat most Lyme disease cases, but vigilance about prevention is the best remedy. Also, if you do find a tick on your pet, prompt, careful removal is critical, because ticks must be attached for 24 to 48 hours to infect your pet. 

Contact our Skyway Animal Hospital team anytime to make an appointment or for more information about keeping your pet free of Lyme disease.