Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, and is spread by the bites of ticks. Borrelia is a cork-screw looking bacteria, that has a remarkable ability to change its protein coat to hide from its host’s immune system. It wears one coat to hide from the immune system of a … Read more
Ticks go through 2 active feeding seasons in their lifetime: in the Spring when baby ticks (nymphs) are feeding to support their growth into adults; and in the fall when larvae are feeding for their molt into the nymph form, and adults are feeding to support the creation of their eggs. These times of extra … Read more
You are probably aware that you should be checking your dog (and yourself!) for ticks after a walk in the woods in the summer. But are you checking as much as you should? Here are some things you need to know about ticks and your dog: You need to check more TIMES than you think … Read more
Ticks are what is known as vectors – they themselves are not causes of disease, but they carry and transmit pathogens that can make your dog sick. Ticks need to be attached and feeding, pumping their saliva into your pet, for 24-48 hours in order to transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis. … Read more
The recent news of the Lyme Disease being found in the Rouge River Valley has a lot of people worried. We’ve heard how awful this disease can be for people – what does it mean for our pets? What is Lyme Disease? Lyme is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia, and it is spread by … Read more