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A spirochete bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi causes your pet to suffer Lyme disease. The bite of an infected tick helps transmit these bacteria to animals, which then enters its bloodstream.
The tick must lie attached to the pet’s skin for a day before the bacteria can be transmitted.
Once infected, your Boston Terrier pet will not be able to transmit the disease to people.
Wingless, small, external parasites, called Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis), transmit Lyme disease.
However, the white-footed mouse is the carrier of this disease. When the Deer Tick transmits the disease, it is a Hard Shell tick.
THE SYMPTOMS OF THIS DISEASE ARE:
- Lack of appetite
- Lack of energy
- Lameness
- Inflamed joints
- Swollen lymph nodes
Heart and kidney disease, and disorders of the nervous system may result from the disease.
PREVENTION AND CONTROL
Contrary to public opinion, Lyme Disease affects human beings more than your Boston Terrier. Therefore, by using the right insecticides, it is best to eliminate ticks by removing from your pet’s coat and from the environment.
You can then go on to combating the threat of ticks by reading all about it and its lifecycle.
CONTROLLING LYME DISEASE OUTDOORS
This is a double-pronged effort where you will have to control the growth and spread of ticks both on the dog and in the environment—the yard and your Boston Terrier’s kennel. Here’s what you can do:
- Clear all tall grass from the yard
- Rake the ground and clear the brush
- Spray insecticide in the area every month
CONTROLLING LYME DISEASE INDOORS
- Wash the pet’s bedding often
- Use insecticide in likely areas
- Apply insecticides on the edges of the wall and flooring because ticks crawl up walls and straight surfaces
- Spray insecticides on cracks in windows or doors
CONTROLLING LYME DISEASE ON YOUR BOSTON TERRIER’S COAT
- Use tick control spray for selected areas
- You can safely use dips to the entire animal
- Wash him with tick shampoo all over his body
- Tie a tick collar round his neck
- Have him vaccinated against Lyme Disease
REMOVING THE TICK FROM YOUR BOSTON TERRIERS
Take care to remove the tick wholly as sometimes its head gets left behind if you use too much pressure.
Besides, if by using a pair of pincers to pick up the tick from the body of your pet, you happen to squeeze it carelessly, it could result in bacteria from the tick entering the Boston Terrier’s bloodstream.
To remove ticks from the coat of your pet effectively, follow the below given guidelines:
- Do not use your fingers to remove a tick, instead use a pair of tweezers or special tick removal instruments
- Hold the tick as close to the skin of the pet as possible
- Have a steady but firm hand while pulling the tick out—don’t jerk or twist your hand Once the tick is out, let it soak in alcohol
- Save the tick for identification
- Swab the bite wound with antibiotic ointment