It’s up to us to take care of our furry friends. Particularly when it comes to Lyme disease, they depend on us for prevention. They can’t tell us their joints hurt, they feel tired, or whatever other symptoms may be going on. We don’t notice until it’s usually too late to help them.
For the protection of your whole family, it’s important to use repellents and do tick checks with your pets, too. Dogs especially are more likely to carry them into your home than you are. They are also more likely to become infected with Lyme disease than humans.
It’s easy to let our guard down, be lazy, or make excuses (“I’ll check later after I take him/her out again”). It only takes one tick, one time, to disrupt many lives.
Talk to your veterinarian about all of the possible options, including vaccines, repellents, and nutrition for your pets! Research products and foods for yourself. And don’t forget about water quality for your pets, too. If you won’t drink your water without filtering it, why should they?
See the Prevention Tips and How to Remove Ticks pages for more information.
Lyme Disease & Pets
Lyme disease is a serious issue with our pets. Dogs are more likely to get Lyme disease than humans. Cats rarely contract the disease, which is good news! HOWEVER….they can still bring ticks into your home to feast on the rest of your family.
If you do not have to let your animals outside, don’t!
Symptoms for pets are often less noticeable than the ones we experience as humans. Usually, once it gets to a point that you notice, the infection is in the late stage.
Testing for animals is more advanced than our own testing right now. There is hope that perhaps an accurate test will come out of this arena. At least for our pets, Lyme disease is recognized as a real disease for the most part.
Repellents for Your Pets
Warning: DO NOT use essential oils on cats. Research and talk to your veterinarian before use on dogs.
Repellents for our pets are also a personal choice. Always discuss with your veterinarian prior to using any product on your pets. Different animals have different metabolisms and different biological functions. Just because it’s safe for us, doesn’t mean it’s safe for our furry friends.
Permethrin is a good example. It is commonly used for humans and dogs as an effective repellent, but it is a highly toxic neurotoxin for cats. So do not let your cats on your sprayed clothing or outside until it has dried completely and prevent ingestion. For this reason, you should never apply topical dog medications or human sprays on cats.
Our furry friends depend on us for Lyme disease prevention.