# Lyme's Shot



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

I live in Delaware and it is a Lyme's tick haven. How many folks use the Lyme's shot? I have heard many pros and cons on this topic. All of my dogs are kept on Frontline year round.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Howard Gaines III said:


> I live in Delaware and it is a Lyme's tick haven. How many folks use the Lyme's shot? I have heard many pros and cons on this topic. All of my dogs are kept on Frontline year round.


For and against:

QUOTE:
Argument Against Vaccination

Lyme disease in the dog is an infection for which over 90% of infected dogs will never get sick and the 5-10% that do get sick can be easily treated with a safe inexpensive course of antibiotics. This situation would seem to indicate that vaccination is simply not worth the expense.

As for the kidney disease that can occur in some individuals with long term antigen exposure: we do not know what Borrelia antigens are involved in the immune stimulation that causes this condition. It might be that the same antigens used in the vaccines are involved in which case vaccination might be just as hazardous as actual infection. Even OspA, the same antigen of the recombinant vaccine, has been implicated in chronic human disease.

Argument For Vaccination

We vaccinate ourselves for the flu, an infection that is more of a nuisance than a life-threatening event, and think nothing of it. Vaccination is about prevention of infection; just because an illness is not life-threatening does not mean that we should not prevent it with vaccine. Further, in a non-endemic area, Lyme disease is not going to be a cause of arthritis that most veterinarians will consider. Treatment is only simple if one thinks to perform the treatment but in an area where there is very little Lyme disease, this treatment may easily be omitted. Why not just prevent the infection outright from the beginning if the dog is going to travel to a tick endemic area?

If we allow our dogs to readily become infected with the Lyme organism, do they not become a potential source for human infection (through their ticks)? We try to minimize the deer and mice in our vicinity but we want to keep company with the family dog but who wants a reservoir of Lyme spirochete in their home?

As for the kidney disease, we do not know what spirochete antigens are implicated in this condition. The recombinant vaccine exposes the patient only to one spirochete antigen (OspA) and prevents the introduction of the spirochete into the mammal’s body. Vaccination, at least with the recombinant vaccine, may be preventive to this syndrome.

Wrapup:
Again, when it comes to prevention, there is nothing controversial about tick control. It is crucial in Lyme endemic areas to use tick controlling products. END from MarVistaVet.com

I personally agree with the "against" thought.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks Connie and have a great weekend.


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## Katrina Kardiasmenos (Aug 5, 2007)

I get it done all my dogs...

I will say this much: see if you can get the vaccine from Merial (rather than Ft. Dodge)...A few vets have told me that they see MANY more reactions from the Ft. Dodge vaccine...


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I'm a nay sayer!


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

OK Susan don't leave me hanging. Why? More info.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I'm not Sue, but I will tell you my take on it: 

We discovered vaccines against lots of canine maladies. We overvaccinated, both in terms of "boosters" and types of diseases vaccinated against, and it took decades to figure that out. 

So now, I'm from Missouri on vaccinating against relatively rare diseases when we don't even know yet what the long-term effects of the vaccine are.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

For the reasons Connie stated in her original post and the above post.


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