Pennsylvania’s Task Force on Lyme Disease says for the past few years, our state’s been leading the nation in the number of reported Lyme disease cases. The last reported data show that more than 7400 residents were infected with Lyme disease in 2014.
In our region Clearfield, Elk, Cameron and Jefferson Counties, are among Pennsylvania counties with the highest incidence. Humans aren’t the only ones affected. A local animal hospital is seeing 10 to 15 dogs a month with Lyme disease.
At Metzger Animal Hospital in State College, Dr. Robert Rider, “we see tons of ticks and this year, especially. I don’t think they ever went away during the winter. It wasn’t cold enough so we’re seeing them constantly and Lyme disease is a big problem.
Dr Rider says vets are also seeing a lot of other diseases carried by ticks. He recommends tick prevention treatments for pets, but says they can still be infected because nothing kills ticks fast enough. It’s also important to check your pets for ticks.
Check with your veterinarian before using flea and tick protection on cats because some products can be hazardous to them.
