Positive tests for tick-borne disease in NS dogs soar, vet says

The number of dogs testing positive for tick-borne diseases in Nova Scotia has nearly doubled this year, a Bedford veterinarian said.

Jeff Goodall, owner and veterinarian of Sunnyview Animal Care, said the problem goes well beyond Lyme disease. Anaplasmosis is also a concern.

He said the dogs have tested positive for tick-borne diseases all winter long.

“They are definitely out earlier this year,” he said. “There was a report that a dog had ticks in January.”

Goodall said he usually recommends starting tick prevention for dogs in March, but he started recommending it as early as February this year.

“February is an unprecedented time to start tick prevention,” says Goodall.

He said most of the positive cases occurred because pet owners didn’t test their dogs last year.

“We say 5 to 10 percent of Lyme-positive dogs may develop osteoarthritis or kidney disease prematurely,” says Goodall.

He said the sooner pet owners remove ticks from their dogs, the sooner they can start antibiotic therapy and reduce the chances of those illnesses.

Increase in ticks this year

Preliminary data from the Lloyd Tick Lab at Mount Allison University in Sackville, North Carolina shows ticks in Nova Scotia have increased this year.

Lab professor Vette Lloyd said the mild weather allowed the female ticks to get a blood meal later in the year.

According to her, Nova Scotia has two types of mites. American dog ticks are often harmless, but black foot ticks can carry Lyme disease.

“Unfortunately, a female tick can probably lay about 3,000 eggs once it feeds,” Lloyd says.

“Most of the time, the baby ticks are looking for mice and such.

She said mites usually crawl on fallen leaves when it snows. Snow covers them and keeps them out of the way.

But they were feeding well this winter.

“January brought ticks like never before,” says Lloyd. “Hot spots and warm he has spots. There are no cold spots in Nova Scotia.”

Tests this year showed that 50% of some adult ticks carry Lyme disease, said biologist Laura Ferguson, who studies ticks at the University of Acadia.

She also made even cold snaps easy for Dani.

Lloyd said checking for ticks should be as routine as brushing your teeth.

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