Vaccinate Your Dog for Lyme Disease or Not? What is the answer?

The argument continues whether to immunize or not immunize for Lyme disease. If vets can not concur, exactly how does a client decide. Anytime a veterinarian chooses to utilize a vaccine, Lyme disease or other, the veterinarian needs to weigh the risks and advantages for the client. So what are some of the aspects to consider.

Where does your pet live?

Living in an endemic location for Lyme disease should be considered. In human beings, 95 % of Lyme disease cases are found in 12 endemic states in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest. In some of these areas, 70 % to 90 % of the healthy pets have been exposed to Lyme disease. An important component for avoidance in the locations is good tick control, which can reduce the danger for illness. Vaccination must be thought about more often in an endemic location.

Exactly how fantastic is the threat of severe condition, once a pet dog is contaminated?

Usually, the danger of serious condition, as soon as the dog is contaminated, is low. It has actually been stated that less than 2 % of exposed canines establish the more severe ailment, Lyme nephritis (kidney swelling). Co-infection (infection with more than one representative) appears to result in even more severe illness. There likewise could be a hereditary predisposition to the degree of inflammation produced from the condition. Retrievers and soft-coated wheaten terriers appear to a hereditary susceptibility. In researches, less than 5 % of favorable pets had arthritis, the most typical disease. These cases typically react quickly to common and affordable prescription antibiotics.

How efficient is the vaccine?

Certainly not as reliable as other vaccines. The vaccine appears to prevent infection in 60 % -86 % of the canines immunized. Protection is not long enduring and enhancer vaccinations are provided every 6 months or at least every year.

Is the vaccine safe?

The vaccine does not appear to be as safe as the more common vaccines used today for other conditions. In a 1.2 million study of immunized canines, the Lyme vaccine produced more after vaccination adverse responses within 3 days, than any other vaccine. These responses were judged as moderate. The responses were related to swelling. In a research study, 30 % of the pet dogs with Lyme nephritis had actually been provided the Lyme vaccine 2 weeks to 15 months prior to health problem. This also brings up the question whether or not to immunize retrievers and soft-coated wheaten terriers. They most likely SHOULD NOT be immunized.

Conclusions:

1. Tick control is important is assisting to prevent the disease.
2. Most pets tested favorable for Lyme disease are nonclinical.
3. Vast bulk of validated cases can be treated with common and low-cost prescription antibiotics.
4. A lot of pets do not display signs of Lyme disease after vaccination, but the same is true for normally exposed pet dogs.
5. Lyme disease vaccine have a brief period and trigger even more post vaccination negative events.
6. The pet dogs most prone to Lyme disease (genetic predisposition), which require the most security, should not be immunized.
Hopefully this offers some helpful info in making a decision to vaccinate for Lyme disease or not.

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