Friends of the Riney Canine Health Center,
Thank you for joining our pack! I’m Brian Collins, an extension associate for the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center, and I’m pleased to share this month’s “From the Vet’s Desk” monthly health tip with our members.
Spring is here and I couldn’t be happier. Unfortunately, deer ticks (Ixodes species) are also happier as they tend to become more active in April after months of winter weather. Due to a natural antifreeze in their bodies called Ixodes Antifreeze Glycoprotein, most deer ticks safely spend the winter in a state of dormancy (called diapause) in leaf litter, topsoil, under decaying wood, or even in burrows of small animal such as white-footed mice and chipmunks. However, ticks will quickly become active whenever temperatures reach about 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit. This means we can’t let our guard down on days during the winter when the temperature climbs above freezing. April is Prevention of Lyme Disease in Dogs Month, so we’ll dedicate some time to this important canine health concern.
Deer ticks are very small, which can make identifying them on us challenging and even more so on our furry canine companions. Immature deer ticks (or nymphs) can be as small as a poppy seed and are usually found in leaf litter, while adults are about the size of a sesame seed and are often found higher in vegetation. Ticks cannot jump or fly but instead wait patiently for a host to brush by them, and through an action called questing, they grab onto a host with their first pair of legs which can sense heat, carbon dioxide and vibrations.
The bacterium responsible for Lyme disease is called Borrelia burgdorferi and is found in the midgut of the tick. However, when blood reaches the midgut, it causes the bacteria to multiply and move to the salivary glands of the tick. As the tick is feeding, some of the bacteria are injected into the skin of the dog. This process takes about 36-48 hours, which makes it important to remove attached ticks as soon as possible.
Our best defense against Lyme disease is through preventing the bites of both nymphs and adults as they seek a blood meal. We can attempt to reduce tick exposure by walking on well-groomed trails. Helpful measures in the yard include keeping grass cut short, removing leaf litter and pruning shrubbery. Examine your dog for ticks after trips outside, including checking between toes and in the ears. If you find an attached tick, it can be removed by grabbing it close to the skin with tweezers or a commercial tick removal device. Dogs may develop a circular red swelling from a tick bite, but they don’t display the “bullseye” rash seen with people who have Lyme disease.
We’re fortunate to have an ever-increasing variety of preventative products to protect our dogs from ticks. In addition to the many topical products that we have used for decades, there’s a collar that lasts for up to eight months, and they all work by repelling and killing ticks on contact. A number of highly effective products from the isoxazoline class of antiparasitic drugs are available and work by quickly killing ticks after they have started to bite the dog. There are several oral options as well as one topical form which range in effectiveness from one to three months. One product even carries a label guarantee against Lyme disease. More recently, there is an injectable product which is effective for a full year against the Ixodes tick – something to consider if your dog doesn’t reliably take oral medications or if you don’t want to worry about remembering to administer doses on time.
Despite how effective these products are, there is still a small chance of a tick biting long enough to transmit disease. Vaccines against Lyme disease provide an additional layer of protection through a very clever mechanism. When a tick bites a vaccinated dog, they ingest a blood meal which contains antibodies which kill the Lyme organism in the tick’s midgut before they can enter your dog. I recommend both a tick preventive product and vaccination for most dogs. In some situations where ticks are especially numerous, we will consider using more than one product at a time.
April 17-23 is National Pet ID week and is meant to remind us to ensure that our pets have proper identification. None of us want to think of our dogs becoming lost but having appropriate identification can make all the difference in being reunited quickly. Dogs can slip out of their collars or harnesses or escape through a gap in a fenced-in yard or open gate. Common times for dogs to get away from us are during travel, on holidays such as Halloween when doors are opening frequently, and during thunderstorms or fireworks. An ID tag on a collar or harness is a quick way for someone who finds a dog to contact their worried owner. The concern with ID tags is that they can be lost and information can change. As a slightly more secure option, some companies will embroider a dog’s name and phone number on a collar or harness.
A microchip is a rice-sized electronic transponder that is injected under the skin (much like a vaccine), usually between the shoulder blades. The benefits of a microchip include that it typically lasts for life, can’t be lost and the information associated with your dog can be updated as needed. The downside is that a found dog (without a name tag) would need to be taken to a vet clinic or shelter where they can scan the dog for a microchip. The scanner reveals a number specific to the dog, which can then be located through an online database. Most dogs tolerate microchip implantation well with some distraction and treats, or it can be performed at the time of spaying/neutering or another anesthetic procedure. For optimal protection use of both an ID tag and a microchip are recommended.
As always, thank you for being a Riney Canine Health Center member. We look forward to catching up with you next month!
Dr. Brian Collins, D.V.M. ‘94
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