The following is a letter we recently sent to all of our clients:


Dear canine clients and friends,

 
Lyme disease is rapidly emerging as a major threat to dogs in our area.  We would like to take a moment to share our concerns and recommendations to help keep your dog as safe as possible, as Lyme continues to spread through Central New York.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by deer ticks.  It often goes unnoticed, but can lead to symptoms that include lameness, joint pain, fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite.  In severe cases, it can cause inflammation in the kidneys which can be fatal.  More than 14,000 cases have been diagnosed in New York in the last 7 years (see www.dogsandticks.com for more information) with   the majority occurring in the last three years.  As we have closely monitored the Lyme situation in our practice area over the past 5 years, we have seen a significant upswing in cases in the last 18 months, with 57 positive dogs in 2008 and 8 positives in January 2009 alone!  State biologists reported that their annual sampling of ticks at Green lake State park in 2008 yielded an astounding 63.5% that were harboring the Lyme disease organism.  All signs point to an increase in these trends in the coming years.

In response to this threat, the veterinarians at VVH feel the time has come to recommend that all of our canine patients be vaccinated against Lyme disease.  We have chosen a safe, effective vaccine that needs to be given initially, boostered three weeks later, then given annually.  We strongly feel that vaccination, in combination with effective topical tick control products (we carry several excellent, prescription strength choices) will provide your dog with the best possible protection.

 
If your dog has had its annual visit and other vaccines within the last 6 months, the initial vaccine and the booster 3 weeks later can be given without you having to bear the cost of an office visit fee – simply give us a call, an we’ll set up two five minute vaccine visits to make it easy for you.  If your dog’s last routine appointment was more than 6 months ago, we’ll need to see him in a regular appointment to update his physical and make sure he’s healthy so we can begin the vaccine protocol.

   
Please feel free to call us with any questions at 315-363-8700.  Thanks for giving us a minute to help you keep your friend healthy.

 
The Veterinarians and staff of VVH

                
Lyme Positive Count as of December 2009:            153