Teddy and her half sister, Mike, spend hours wandering around Bass’ almost-40-acre property in Frankfort. Bass knew about Lyme disease, but didn’t think her dogs were at risk.
“They got vaccinated for all kinds of things, but I wasn’t aware they weren’t vaccinated against Lyme disease,” she said.
Did you know?
Dogs are not the only animals that can catch Lyme disease. Among domestic animals, the other most common victims are horses and cattle. Cats, on the other hand, are less likely to be affected – perhaps because of their self-grooming techniques.
Vaccines are now available to help prevent Lyme disease in dogs. Annual revaccination is necessary.
Then Teddy, who is 13, stopped eating in January. She became lethargic. Something was clearly wrong.
A test for Lyme disease came back positive and Bass and her vet, Dr. Frank Mondi, of New Hartford Animal Hospital, began fighting for Teddy’s life.
Lyme disease has become much more common in Central New York among both dogs and humans in recent years, and public health officials predict that the number of infections will continue to grow. “I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Mondi said. “And it is so much more important than fleas. Fleas ... transmit tape worms, that’s it. Simple to get rid of and they don’t cause death.
“Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases, they can cause chronic infections, chronic misery and death.”
Prevention
Positive tests for Lyme disease used to be rare in Oneida County, but as they became more common, Mondi’s practice began strongly recommending vaccination for dogs about 10 years ago, he said. The only exception was for mostly indoor dogs who venture no farther than the backyard, he said. That changed this year.
“Today, Lyme disease has been declared endemic, meaning it’s persistent in our area. We recommend (the vaccine) for every pet,” he said. “We also advise our clients to be aware of the disease and the deer ticks that transmit it because we’re exposed ourselves.”
Mondi also recommends that his clients put their dogs on Frontline or Advantix, topical medicines that kill most ticks before they can transmit Lyme disease.
The medicines alone might not kill every tick every time. And the vaccine alone doesn’t protect against other tickborne illnesses, he said.
Mondi also warned pet owners never to use flea collars, which can cause liver damage with long-term use.
“They’re nasty, they’re toxic and they’re not effective,” he said.
So far this year, about 50 dogs brought to the New Hartford clinic have tested positive for Lyme disease, Mondi said, adding that that number is deceptively low because his office has pushed prevention so hard for many years.
Recovery
With antibiotics, dogs can recover from Lyme disease. But Teddy is old and her kidneys were failing, probably as a result of the disease, before she was diagnosed. The disease put her life at risk.
With antibiotics, the daily fluid injections Bass gives her, home-cooked food to tempt her appetite and other complementary health care, Teddy has perked up. She’s once again able to eat on her own, go up and down stairs and roam the property with Mike.
“She’s able to do the things that she loves doing,” Bass said.
“She’s holding her own,” Mondi agreed. “Long-term outlook is not good because of the amount of damage that’s been done to her kidneys.”
But Teddy is a lot more than an old, sick dog to Bass, a widow who lives alone with her dogs. Teddy and Mike are her companions, her security guards and her children. She buys presents for them at Christmas. When she stops at the grocery store, she buys paper towels, toilet paper and stuff for the dogs, Bass said.
“They’re my buddies,” she said. “I’m alone … They make me feel safe.”
Somebody suggested to Bass that it would have been a lot cheaper for her to simply put Teddy to sleep. The idea shocked Bass.
She realizes that time may be coming, but she wants to keep Teddy going as long as Teddy enjoys life, she said.
“When she can’t look at me, when she can’t wag her tail when her sister comes, when she can’t run to the car, when she can’t eat any more, then it’s time to let her go,” she admitted.
Until then, Bass is doing everything she can to keep her healthy.