# Lyme disease shot



## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I agonize over this. I have Swizzle get it because I am in a Lyme hot spot and know several people and dogs that have had Lyme. Plus there are a lot of ticks. Last year I took Swizzle for a quick pee break. He was just on the driveway and peed at the edge. We were out for less then ten minutes and I took 4 ticks off him and one off me. I had put bug killer down that was suppose to work on ticks too. So far this year I have only seen two ticks so hopefully they will not be as bad this year.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

We got it for Penny. I have a wooded acre and have pulled about eight ticks off her so far. No side effects yet.

Rick


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## cookieface (Jul 5, 2011)

We declined the Lyme vaccine when our vet offered. It is moderately effective (the vet mentioned that several of his Lyme positive patients were vaccinated) and there are other diseases transmitted by ticks that are just as bad. We decided to focus on keeping ticks off Katie (as much as possible).


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

CTGirl - Wow, where are you located? Are you in the Northeast also?


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## SilverSpoo (Jan 15, 2014)

The newer Lyme vaccines are more effective than the first ones that came out. The organism that causes Lyme changes its outer surface proteins once it is inside the body. The newer vaccines account for this.

That being said it is still more likely to cause a reaction than other vaccines, and can be pretty painful.

I have also agonized over the decision whether or not to give this vaccine as I have seen several dogs very very sick from Lyme that live in my neighborhood. Last year I only pulled a few ticks off though, so I think that I have decided not to do it.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Its a tough decision but I'm going to hold off for now. I've been looking into essential oils (lavender, rose geranium, etc) to make up a spray. Using that, plus Advantix, maybe I can keep them off her in the first place. The "natural" sprays I have tried smell horrible. Last year she didn't have any ticks and the local expert in our area said because of the long cold winter, the mice population that carry the ticks is reduced and it should be a better year. We'll be traveling out west in our camper. I wonder if there is something she might be exposed to that we have to prepare for?


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Yes, I live in Connecticut.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

We do not immunize for Lyme. We give Iverhart from April to December. We use Advantix II from April to November (protection to end of November). We travel a lot and also are in a tick (and tick transmitted disease) hot spot on Long Island. I will advocate for the effectiveness of Advantix II. I took Lily and Peeves on a hike in a state forest in Maryland several years ago. For hours afterward I was pulling different kinds of ticks, (dog, lone star, etc.) out of my hair and picking them off my clothes. My BF eventually pulled 4 embedded ticks off me (after we drove home). Lily had no ticks on her (never has) and Peeves had one or two on him, but they were dead by the time we removed them.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Ah, Connecticut! In 1980 I lived in Old Lyme - and was one of the first to get Lyme Disease myself. They didn't know what it was, so I was overdosed with aspirin, bute...and other awful meds. It took more than a year before the joint pains went away. I was lucky not to have lasting problems. Its a terrible thing!


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Lily, I guess that explains it - the Advantix II does work to repel. That is what I used last year and Callie had no ticks either. I have to start it next month. We're a little colder here in upstate, but I know they will be active soon!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I was in New Jersey (around Monmouth Junction, so not too far south) on April 6th doing tracking and someone found a tick on herself then. They are already out and have been for a while down here.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I know so many people and dogs who have had Lyme it is ridiculous. So sorry to hear you had this as well. Even when properly treated and diagnosed many have joint issues as a result.


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## ApricotsRock (Jan 10, 2014)

I am up in the air about this. Rookie has now tested positive for lymes despite being on advantix all last year. We are now doing the antibiotic therapy. (Woo HOO). This is my second dog who has tested positive. Boomer died before I had to make the decision on whether or not to vaccinate. The vets told me that I would probably want to do it where I am in such a bad area for it. 

Does anyone know if lymes makes a dog particularly sensitive i.e. to grooming? Rookie just got back from the groomer and was terrible. He hates to be touched with a brush and she commented that he may have super sensitive skin.


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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

Every year I stress about whether or not to vaccinate tiny Bella. We live in a Lyme hotspot (pulled a tick off my MAS last week) and our vet strongly advocates for this as we live in the country on several acres of wooden ground so we have vaccinated. I'm not looking forward to making the decision this year. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

ApricotsRock - yes they do (rock I mean) Where are you located? We have ticks, but never go in the woods. That being said, she goes in yards and parks, so I guess she could get them anywhere. I worry worry worry. Just don't know what to do. 
Callie had a terrible reaction to Frontline 2 years ago, neurological, weak, sick. She went through a lot being tested for everything and for a while the vet thought it was Addisons. Within 2 months she was fine. I'm sure now, reading what I have, that it was the Frontline. I never used it again, and she has been ok with AdvantixII so far. I wonder if a tick can pass on the disease before it dies from the Advantix. Sounds like that is what happened with Rookie?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

It depends on the pathogen. For example passage of Lyme from tick to host is relatively slow, but there is a virus called Powassun (sp?) that can be passed in less than 15 minutes. I am not sure if dogs can get that one, but again it varies with the pathogen.


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## ApricotsRock (Jan 10, 2014)

SusanG said:


> ApricotsRock - yes they do (rock I mean) Where are you located? We have ticks, but never go in the woods.
> That being said, she goes in yards and parks, so I guess she could get them anywhere. I worry worry worry. Just don't know what to do.
> Callie had a terrible reaction to Frontline 2 years ago, neurological, weak, sick. She went through a lot being tested for everything and for a while the vet thought it was Addisons. Within 2 months she was fine. I'm sure now, reading what I have, that it was the Frontline. I never used it again, and she has been ok with AdvantixII so far. I wonder if a tick can pass on the disease before it dies from the Advantix. Sounds like that is what happened with Rookie?


Depends on how upstate you are, but if you look east for 200 miles as the crow flies (or the tick crawls) we could wave at each other. I am in central NH. 

Yes, we are very close to woods, i.e. we have no curtains not the back of the house as we look at the woods. Very rural. That being said, Rookie was just a little baby last year and we did not go in the woods at all. He stayed right on the lawn. 

The vets has collars now. I wish I knew if that was better than advantix.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Apricotsrock - I'm in Clifton Park, NY just south of Saratoga. Where did you get Rookie? Maybe he and Callie are related? Her mommy is Diva from Europoodles and her sire is Clifford from Cameopoodles.
Oh boy. I just extracted a tick from Callie's chest. And I check her over so carefully but the darn things always seem to elude detection. I had a hard time getting it off too. Even with the tick puller it kept slipping through but I did get it all out. It had attached, but was not engorged with blood so she is more than likely safe from infection this time. She must have picked it up right in the front yard. No doubt what I will be doing tomorrow -bath and clip her short put the AdvantixII on. I just can't take a chance even though I hate using poison like that (I just ordered the essential oils which I will use too) My husband says get the shot - I'm still not so sure.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

is there anything you can do to at least control ticks in your own yard? they're dangerous to people, too.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I put tick killer stuff on my lawn but they are still there. I hate to think how bad it would be if I did not. I took a tick off my sofa yesterday. Not sure if it came in on me or Swizzle.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

I have gone back and forth about Lexi getting this vaccine and have so far opted for her to get it. Deer ticks are really bad where we live. The way the vet explained it to me was this: If they are vaccinated and get Lyme's , they will limp in. If they get Lyme's and have not been vaccinated, they will be carried in. In other words it would be the severity of how sick they get. I was at the groomers last summer and there were two dogs there, one the owners standard poodle who were both vaccinated and both came down with Lyme's. I do Heartguard starting when the snow is gone, about May thru October and flea and tick meds about the same. I don't use flea and tick the whole time, it depends on where we are walking, going.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Does anyone have a link to a veterinary medical website that discusses the pros and cons of the shot? I've seen plenty of sites, but none are by veterinarians, just people selling other products or discussing natural ways of repelling.


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## ApricotsRock (Jan 10, 2014)

patk said:


> is there anything you can do to at least control ticks in your own yard? they're dangerous to people, too.



Someone told me the best thing you can do is have chickens. Seriously.


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## ApricotsRock (Jan 10, 2014)

Yep, DD found a tick crawling on her last night just after her and Rookie had been outside. What kills me is that it was a nice evening and they were mostly just chilling on the patio, not even on the grass. Sigh.

And to talk to people who have lymes, wow it can be terrible.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I have also heard chickens are the best way to handle the tick problem. I think the coyotes would take care of the chickens though. I heard one of my neighbors had a deer carcass in his yard that he believes the coyote pack killed. (I know they are not normally pack animals but we think we have wolf/coyote hybrids here.


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## LibertyH (Jun 9, 2013)

We get the shot. Lyme is miserable. Even if the immunization is only partially effective, it is worth it IMHO.

I have a slightly off-topic question about Advantix - Does anyone know if there is a better way to apply it? I hate the giant slimy spots that it leaves on my toy.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Liberty H. I wish there was a better way to apply Advantix but I don't think so. That stuff leave a greasy spot for sure. I've read that the reason it has to be applied on the back and shoulders is so they don't lick it, as it is poison to ingest. I apply it and bathe Callie 4 days later as, supposedly by then it has been absorbed. Its tough to put it on a poodle as their hair absorbs it like a cotton ball. There is something new out this year - a tick collar. I'm leery of them though and am waiting to find out long term affects


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Just saw this Lyme-related article, maybe there's hope yet?:dontknow:
Lyme Disease: Prevention May Begin with Vaccinating Mice | Steve Dale's Pet World


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Chagall's mom said:


> Just saw this Lyme-related article, maybe there's hope yet?:dontknow:
> Lyme Disease: Prevention May Begin with Vaccinating Mice | Steve Dale's Pet World


Control of parasites though elimination of reservoirs in nonhuman hosts or in the vectors is not an uncommon strategy and has proven very effective in many instances, for example _Dracunculiasis_ (guinea worm).


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## amerwine (Dec 4, 2013)

*ticks everywhere*

I have vaccinated my labradoodle with lyme vaccine and use frontline. I lost my lab 4 years ago with Lyme disease. Lyme kidney disease is more likely to occur in labs, retrievers. 6 xs more likely than other dogs. 

Living in PA the ticks are so bad. So far this year, I myself was bitten with 2 ticks, pulled a few off the dog. I keep the dogs hair short and always brush him thoroughly before going inside. Still find ticks crawling on him within an hour. I find that windy days are the worst. I don't ever remember having a tick problem years ago growing up. We always were in the woods hiking and such.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Amerwine - I grew up in NJ - spent most of my summers playing in the woods and never had a tick either. It wasn't until I was an adult living in CT that I got Lyme disease myself. It has spread to the whole East Coast and beyond and seems to be getting worse. I may end up breaking down and getting Callie the shot because I worry constantly. I know it isn't 100%, but I'm afraid to take her anywhere.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

The re-emergence of Lyme disease is directly attributable to many of the things we like about living in the northeast (being close to nature). Through the early colonization of the northeast, europeans who came here had lots of experience with abundance of deer and other wildlife in close proximity to them. In addition to writing about the abundance of game, they also wrote about being plagued by ticks and also about experiencing vexing signs and symptoms like joint and muscle pains, heart problems and the like. In other words they were getting infected with _Borrelia burgdorferi_, but had no recognition of what it was. The recognition of a relationship between being bitten by a tick or mosquito and getting an infection wasn't understood until the late 1800s. After all, malaria (bad air disease) was thought to be from smelling stinky swamp air. The clearing of northeastern forests drove the deer, mice and ticks far from where we lived. As farming declined in the northeast the forests started to regrow and we expanded our suburbs to directly abut the new forests full of deer, mice and ticks with infectious agents harbored in them. Our recognition of what Lyme disease is all about is new, but our actual experience of it is not.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

That makes sense. I didn't know Lyme disease was around that long. It doesn't help that people seldom hunt any more which has increased the deer population and driven it into the suburbs. Everyone loves Bambi, but Bambi is often starving in the winter as there is not enough foliage to support the overpopulation in our area.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

SusanG you are so right about the hunting issue. On Long Island for the very limited deer season (not even every year I think) the only hunting is by archery. I have seen dead deer recently on the roadside of a suburban four lane mid speed road and a parkway. It is sad to see them colliding so sadly with us and the worst of all is the bambi lovers who don't want them hunted when they are sick and starving.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Yay! Callie's titer tests came back. She does not need parvo/distember shot! She is immune already.
Still agonizing over the Lyme shot and waiting to have a phone discussion with the vet. We go geocaching and I'm worried about bringing her if there is the slightest risk she will be bitten. Prior to starting the Advantix I pulled a dog tick off her, it had bitten in, but was not swelled up. So far, no other ticks on her.
Also received my essential oils. Tried the Rose Geranium on her harness - wow - that stuff is strong! No ticks though after a trip to the park. I'm going to mix it with cedarwood and put in a water spray for our next geo trip.


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## cookieface (Jul 5, 2011)

Keep in mind that Lyme isn't the only disease carried by ticks. There's Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Hepatozoonosis, and Babesiosis (not all may be found in your area). It's still important to prevent ticks from attaching even with the Lyme vaccine.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I am really worried too and don't know what to do. My spoo was having bad reactions to flea and tick Frontline, and vacines, to the point of not only being ill, but having bad seizures. When I discontinues all Frontline, heartguard, and non essential vacines he got well. And he has not had another seizure in over a year and a half now. All last summer he didn't have any Frontline. The strangest thing was that he was the only dog around that did NOT get any ticks, but all the neighboring dogs did. I took him to the woods 4-5 times a week. 

Weirdest is that I found some ticks crawling on me, but not him! The only thing we could tinik is that he eats a totally raw diet which includes grass fed beef liver, kidneys, other organs too. I just don't know what to do either, so I am glad that this thread is getting so many answers.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Just found a vet online with recommendations for the vaccine:
Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog | Dr. Schultz on Lyme Vaccine


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Kontiki, Callie had a bad reaction to what we think was the Frontline. She got frantic, hyper and running around rubbing herself non stop. Then she got sick, weak, collapsed. The vet didn't know what was causing it, for a while we agonized she might have Addisons's disease and she went through blood tests, poor baby. But she was symptom free in a few months and we are pretty sure it was the Frontline rather than exposure to a new rug we had just had laid down. I tried AdvantixII last year. She had absolutely no ticks all summer, and no adverse reaction to it. I just started it again a few weeks ago, and so far, so good, no ticks. I was hoping to put it off, but I found a dog tick, so I had to start it. I don't use the whole tube, just about 2/3 as she is only 15 pounds. I also purchased essential oils cedarwood and rose geranium and made up a spray. Fingers crossed. So far no shot, but I am still agonizing whether I should do it anyway.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

SusanG since Advantix II comes in doses that are weight tailored I would think you should be ok to put the whole dose in her. You want to be sure to get full protection. I understand your being cautious though.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

SusanG said:


> I also purchased essential oils cedarwood and rose geranium and made up a spray.


How do you make the spray? And where do you spray it ? Does it make her hair sticky? Does it work on you too?


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

I bought the essential oils from Edens Garden after I read a lot about the oils. I'm experimenting. One article said just put a few drops of the Rose Gardenia directly on the dog, or on a fabric harness. I tried putting a drop or two on the web harness, but whew! that stuff is strong used undiluted. My daughter has worked with the oils for about a year and suggested putting a few drops of vodka in a small spray bottle (to bring out the scent) and then add a few drops of the Rose Gardenia and mix with a small amount of distilled water. (I also added a few drops of cedarwood as that was recommended as a deterrent also. You can also use eucalyptus, lemon oil and several others). I understand that lavender, although really nice smell, doesn't work as a repellent. Essential oils are not really oily unless you add them to a carrier oil. The spray I made up smells nice, and it is not greasy or sticky. I sprayed it on Callie's legs and tummy, also a little on the ends of her ears and rubbed it in a little. She is not crazy about perfumey smells but she didn't seem to mind this one. I've only tried it a couple of times so far when we went out, and no ticks. You have to apply it each time because the smell does not linger that long. I will keep everyone updated. Maybe its the combo of Advantix II AND the oils. I don't know. I'm willing to try anything as long as its safe!
There are lots of sites that talk about the essential oils as repellents. This is one of them. I have begun to use some of them for myself, for relaxation, sleep, etc. but I'm just a beginner!

If anyone else has tried this I'd love to learn more!
Homemade Herbal Flea and Tick Pet Repellent Spray - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com


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