Lyme Disease Vaccination in Dogs

Determining the Need for the Canine Borellia burgdorferi Vaccine

Oct 24, 2009

A dog which is exposed to ticks may be a candidate to receive vaccination for canine Lyme disease but tick control is the most important factor in preventing disease.

Vaccines protecting against canine Lyme disease are widely available. However, vaccination against Lyme disease has both advantages and risks involved and not all dogs are considered to be proper candidates for the vaccine.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease which is caused by the rickettsial organism Borrelia burgdorferi. In many parts of the United States, Lyme disease is considered to be an endemic disease and dogs testing positive for the Lyme disease antibody are common in these areas. Even in areas where Lyme disease is less common, many people are now traveling with their pets, making exposure possible if dogs visit endemic areas even for a short period of time.

Canine Lyme Disease Vaccination

Currently, there are several different vaccines which provide protection for dogs against Lyme disease. These vaccines are classed as:

All of these vaccines provide protection to vaccinated dogs against disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi.

Deciding Which Dogs Need Lyme Disease Vaccines

Lyme disease vaccinations do a reasonably good job of providing protection against Lyme disease. However, Lyme disease vaccines are not considered to be core vaccines and are not appropriate for those dogs which are not at risk of infection with Lyme disease. With Lyme disease being a tick-borne disease, those dogs at risk of disease are those which are likely to become infected with ticks.

Lyme disease vaccines, like any other vaccination, have the potential to cause adverse reactions. The risk of administering the vaccine must be weighed against the risk of contracting the disease. For those dogs not exposed to ticks, vaccination against Lyme disease is not recommended.

Tick Control Still Important Even for Dogs Vaccinated Against Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is only one of many diseases which can infect dogs when they are exposed to ticks. Diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and many other diseases can also be transmitted by ticks. Unfortunately, vaccination against these other tick-borne diseases is not possible. Therefore, vaccinating against Lyme disease only protects dogs against one potential threat out of many. Due to the risk of serious disease being passed from ticks to dogs, tick control remains an important part of responsible pet ownership, even when Lyme disease vaccines are administered.

It is also important for pet owners to remember that pets can bring ticks into their home and yard, where the ticks are also capable of infesting family members and spreading disease. This risk represents another reason why Lyme disease vaccination alone, without proper tick control, is not adequate.

Lyme Disease Vaccination in Dogs

Dogs which are likely to become infested with ticks are candidates to be vaccinated against Lyme disease. Dog owners should discuss their dog's potential risk with their veterinarian to reach a decision as to whether vaccination is appropriate for a particular animal as a means of preventing Lyme disease. However, it is also important to provide adequate tick control, even if the dog is vaccinated against Lyme disease.

The copyright of the article Lyme Disease Vaccination in Dogs in Pet Diseases is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Lyme Disease Vaccination in Dogs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.