1. Keep your dog away from ticks. Dogs that spend a lot of time in parks and wooded areas are prime candidates for tick exposure and, therefore, Lyme disease. Unfortunately, the ticks are spreading even to lawns in the city. If you have a dog who enjoys playing outside, you should plan to take definite preventive measures.
2. Prevent ticks from biting your pet. Once a tick is attached to your pet, they will inject the Lyme disease bacterium. There are two products we use to keep ticks from attaching to your dog, EFFITIX Plus, a topical "spot on" and Simparica, which is a monthly pill. For cats and kittens, we recommend EFFIPRO Plus, which also is a topical medication.
3. Vaccinate against Lyme disease-The Lyme disease vaccine is for dogs, and given as two injections the first year and a booster each year thereafter.
Information from Iowa State University about ticks.
