The Role Of The Lyme Vaccine In Lyme Disease Control

Dog owners are generally used to getting their pets vaccinated on a regular basis. Still, protecting dogs from Lyme disease won't be like protecting them from rabies. Some pets may never need the Lyme vaccine. All pet owners should discuss the situation with their veterinarians. There are many risk factors associated with Lyme disease, and many of them will relate to a pet's habits and location. 

Pets Who Live In Certain Area Will Be More Likely to Contract Lyme Disease

It's true that pet owners, especially dog owners, shouldn't assume that their pets will never get Lyme disease. Cats rarely get it, but Lyme disease is a severe problem for dogs. This disease might be rare in certain areas, but it's still a common enough disease that people in many areas will still have to worry about it.

However, it's just as important to remember that Lyme disease is particularly prevalent in the Northeastern part of the United States. People who live in heavily wooded areas should really check their dogs for deer ticks and other ticks on a regular basis, especially if the dogs spend a lot of time outside. It might make sense for dogs in these areas to get vaccinated against Lyme disease. However, dog owners should still focus on protecting their dogs from the ticks themselves. 

Tick Control Is Still One of The Best Lyme Disease Prevention Strategies

The Lyme disease vaccine can be tremendously useful when it comes to controlling Lyme disease. However, making sure that dogs don't get bitten by ticks in the first place will still be an important part of your prevention plan. Some dog owners will put specialized collars on their dogs in order to keep away the ticks. There are also safe topical remedies that they can use. Some pet owners will also try to make sure their dogs don't spend a lot of time running around outside. It's important to remember that the Lyme disease vaccine itself is only useful when it comes to Lyme disease prevention. 

The Lyme Disease Vaccine Will Not Help Dogs Who Already Have Lyme Disease

Lyme disease itself is treatable using other methods, but it can't be addressed by using the Lyme disease vaccine. This vaccine has stopped dogs from getting Lyme disease. However, it's too late to get dogs vaccinated when they're already infected. The vaccine is useful, but only under specific circumstances.