The specific disease is Borrelia Burgdorferi or more commonly called Lyme disease. The two tick species that transmit the disease are lxodes scapularis, and the blacklegged tick or deer tick. Dogs commonly don’t show signs of the illness until two to six months after being bitten, an infected tick can transmit Lyme disease after only 24 hours of attachment. Surprisingly what happens when a dog is bitten by an infected tick is, nothing – the dog doesn’t get infected with Borreliaor or other tick-borne organisms. The dog tests positive for Lyme disease on a blood test because of developing antibodies after being exposed to or infected with Borrelia. However, the dog does not get sick because it’s immune system gets rid of the bacteria. The dog is infected with Borrelia and gets sick with Lyme disease. An infected dog usually tests positive on a blood test due to exposure to Borrelia and making antibodies in an attempt to fight the infection. The dog acquires an infection with another organism that isn’t detected by a Lyme-only blood test.
THE PROPER WAY TO REMOVE A TICK
Learning how to properly remove a tick is key in protecting your dog from disease. If you find a tick attached to your dog, it is very important to remove the tick as soon as possible. Ticks only need to feed for a few hours to a day to pass on bacteria that can cause tick-borne disease. This is how you can safely remove a tick:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick, as this can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouthparts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouthparts easily with clean tweezers, leave them alone and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
- Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.
