Our vet told us there are ticks living in New York City. Yikes! In fact, Lyme disease has been found in all 48 contiguous states according to the “Lyme Disease and Your Dog” brochure we read recently. We are trying to avoid the pesky bugs, but we also need to be prepared in case one tries to lunch on our blood. We thought the Lyme-Aid benefit event, celebrating Lyme disease awareness month, was the pawfect place to learn more about ticks, Lyme disease prevention, and treatment. The event, held at Toyota of Manhattan in Hell’s Kitchen, featured vendors, doggy and human treats (luv the Yappy Treats Cart doggy frozen yogurt!), entertainment, goody bags, and more.
Lyme-Aid tick testing kit
What is Lyme disease? We checked Lymedisease.org to get information on the disease. Lyme disease is an infection caused by a spirochete that humans can get from the bite of an infected deer tick.
Do all ticks carry Lyme disease? The short answer is no. Lymedisease.org has a chart with creepy tick photos and descriptions. The Deer Tick transmits Lyme disease, but not every Deer Tick carries the disease. The CDC website has additional tick pictures and Lyme disease transmission information. The bacteria inside of the tick causes Lyme disease – the tick is just the transmitter.
What do we do if we see a tick on our skin? The key is to remove the tick and then have the tick tested for Lyme disease. Tick-SR is a non-toxic option using a treated wipe. You hold the wipe over the tick until it detaches. PetCareRx recommends the use of tweezers or a tick removal device and a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol. The Tick Key bills itself as “the easiest-to-use tick removal device on earth”. You slide the tick into the key slot and pull the tick from the skin. Once you have removed the tick, use a new Lyme-Aid diagnostic tick testing kit to send the tick to the lab to be tested. The kit identifies the DNA of the pathogen in the tick. According to the rep at the event, the kit will be available at local drug stores soon and should be added to pet first aid kits.
How can we prevent ticks? The number one tip is to manually check your dog for ticks all the time. PetMD has an article on 10 ways to stop ticks from biting your dog. We use a spot-on treatment, Frontline Plus. We were introduced to Beat It all-natural insect repellent at the event. We will definitely give it a try! We received an Insect Shield scarf in our swag bag. The line of apparel has a built-in insect repellent that lasts through 70 launderings. This would have come in handy on Hilton Head Island with all of the bugs! There is also a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs.
A big thanks to Long Island Pet Professionals, Whitegate PR, and Nikki Knows Pets for organizing this fun and informational event. We loved seeing our friends from A Fair Shake for Youth and definitely enjoyed all of the doggy snacks from Dr. Harvey’s and Stella and Chewy’s. We won a cool CritterZone air naturalizer in the raffle!
the pup diary 