Lyme Disease can be a very serious disease for dogs. A vaccine for such a feared disease is great in theory. However many, many pets have had serious side effects from the Vaccine for Lyme Disease including behavioral changes, arthritis, pain, vomiting, lethargy, loss of consciousness, and death.
Earth Clinic readers have shared many alarming stories of reactions in their dogs to the Lyme Vaccine.
Anne from Wisconsin tells us, "My vet suggested my coonhound mix, Trixie, be vaccinated for Lyme disease even though I use tick prevention all year. Within 3 days she was having trouble moving her head and neck and "screamed" if anyone bumped her. She is normally somewhat crazy, jumping and barking at everything, but she stopped barking completely."
"Maxsmom25" from UT shares that her four month old puppy had a reaction to the Lyme Vaccine, "It was terrifying. He went limp and was vomiting, luckily we were still at the vet so they were able to reverse it. But now I am terrified about going back to continue vaccinations!"
In Virginia, Pamela's 11 year old dog went lame within 24 hours of receiving the Lyme Disease Vaccine.
What is a pet owner to do? There are risks to the vaccine and risks to the disease it is meant to prevent! But pet owners do have a choice, this is not a mandatory vaccine. In areas where animals are not at risk for tick-borne disease, the risk of the disease is low. Animals that are kept indoors are at low risk, unless the pet owners bring the ticks in on their clothes. There are products to prevent ticks in animals, but these products often come with side effects, too. Happily, may pet owners have found some natural alternatives to these products.
If you have control of your pet's outdoor area, you can work to keep the area tick-free and greatly reduce the risk of Lyme Disease without the worry of the vaccine. Keeping grass short and eliminating brushy areas helps a lot with tick problems. Some pet owners sprinkle cedar granules or diatomaceous earth in the yard to prevent ticks. This may need to be done several times during tick season.
If you do get your pet vaccinated for Lyme Disease, do not get the vaccine if your pet is ill. It is also best to only get one vaccine at a time. This makes it easier to know what vaccine is causing a problem, should your pet have a reaction.
Scroll down to read the stories about the Lyme Vaccine sent to us by Earth Clinic readers.
If your pet has experienced side effects from the Lyme Disease Vaccination, please share your experience!
