Lyme disease is a serious bacterial disease transmitted by wood tick bites. The occurrence of Lyme bacteria is greatest in Agder, Telemark and Vestfold.
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The Borrelia bacterium that is transmitted via tick bite can lead to the serious disease Lyme disease in dogs and cats. Not all animals that are infected by borreliosis develops the disease. Lyme disease can cause joint inflammation, muscle pain, fever and decreased appetite. In chronic cases, the skin, heart, kidneys and nervous system can be affected.
Get Borrelia vaccine from a vet
Lyme disease is very serious. Here at our veterinary clinic we have more than 10 cases of Lyme disease per year and 1–2 dogs in our clinic die annually as a result of organ failure because the patient comes in too late for treatment.
We usually protect our dogs against the bacteria by using various tick preventatives, but we also offer a vaccine against Lyme disease. The vaccine does not prevent the tick from attaching to the dog, but protects against the disease itself. In the first year, two vaccines are given 3–4 weeks apart. It is advisable to vaccinate in the winter/spring months to adjust the timing of vaccination with the tick season. After that, the dog is vaccinated once a year to stay protected.