As summer begins, our lifestyles change from indoor winter activities to staying outside and adventuring in the warmer temperatures. We pull out the sunscreen, bug spray, and adjust our clothing to fit this change in seasons, but what do we do to prepare our dogs? Most of us in the Apex area love to bring our dogs on walks, hikes, and even out to dinner! What most of us do not think about is how we can better prepare our dogs for these activities. Our more adventurous dogs have many obstacles that can arise. We watch for injuries like tearing muscles or puncture wounds as well as dehydration or heat exhaustion.
There are also vaccinations that can help our furry friends stay healthy all season long. We look out for two main diseases that can be contracted during hikes or lake days. Leptospirosis and Lyme Disease are zoonotic diseases, meaning they can be transferred to humans. They are prevalent in North Carolina and across the Southeast. Let’s dive into each of these individually to discuss further.
Leptospirosis
Hello water! With summertime comes cooling down in water for a large portion of our canine community, but there can be dangers in some of these places. Leptospirosis is a disease caused by the Leptospira bacteria. This bacteria lives in stagnant bodies of water in which wildlife has the potential to urinate. It sounds gross, I know, but this is a large majority of the water sources our dogs come into contact with. Lakes, ponds, even puddles on our walks can all be harboring this bacterium. Signs of Leptospirosis are fever, increased thirst and urination, shivering and muscle soreness, lethargy, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the skin (jaundice). Now that you know this information, you should consider your dog’s lifestyle. Are they one that likes to drink out of puddles on walks? Are they one that loves swimming in the lake? Do you have a bowl of water outside that your dog only drinks from occasionally? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then most veterinarians would recommend that your dog be vaccinated annually.
Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease is spread through a tick bite, typically through a Deer Tick. Ticks love heavily wooded areas, tall grass, or marshlands. If you explore these areas, once indoors, do a thorough check over yourself and your dogs for ticks. If caught soon enough, ticks can be removed without issue. It is important to note that while this disease is zoonotic, it cannot be transferred from your dog to you or from one dog to another. This is a vector-borne disease, meaning that a tick is needed for the go-between. A tick can bite an animal with Lyme Disease, receive that bacterium, and then that tick can pass it along to whomever it bites next. Symptoms of Lyme Disease can take up to 5 months to present themselves. Lameness, joint swelling, loss of appetite, and fever can all be signs of this disease. With these things in mind, do you and your dog venture into these areas? Are you an avid hiker, camper, or have dense woods in your area? If so, then we recommend annual vaccination for your dog.
Bordetella (Kennel Cough)
Some dogs are not excited about adventures and would rather stay in a “hotel” until their family comes back. If that is your dog, then the Bordetella vaccination, sometimes referred to as the “kennel cough” vaccine, would be recommended. Kennel cough is almost exactly what it sounds like; it is an upper respiratory condition that causes a significant cough with discharge and is spread through direct contact with other dogs. The bacteria that cause this issue are spread through the air, but only short distances; therefore, close quarters (like in a kennel setting) have a much higher probability of contagion than others. In addition to dogs staying in a boarding facility, we also worry about our social butterflies! These are the dogs that go out to dinner with us, visit the dog park, go to doggie daycare, or just love interacting with others on their daily walk. Those dogs that visit groomers should also have this vaccine in their regiment. Dogs that are frequent fliers at the groomers or boarding should receive this vaccination every 6 months. Those that are not quite as social should have this vaccine boostered annually.
I want to stress that these vaccinations, as with all vaccines, do not make your dog completely immune of these diseases. They provide the body with a dead or weakened version of the disease or virus in order to expose their immune system. It gives the body an opportunity to build up defenses should your dog ever become infected with the true disease. It will allow them to fight off the infection, rather than succumb to it.
As always, please consult your veterinarian about starting these vaccinations or continuing them in the future. If you are worried that your dog is suffering from one of the above conditions, please reach out for help. We are always here and eager to create a healthy and happy life for you and your pets.
Melissa Reel is a surgery technician at Lake Pine Animal Hospital. Melissa graduated with an animal science degree in 2018 B.S., B.A., M.S. She is currently making arrangements to attend vet school.
