Of note: This year's National Amateur Retriever Championship is going to be held in one of the "hot spots" for Lyme disease.
From the first article: "...in Western and Northwestern parts of Wisconsin infection occurs in 60 to 90% of all dogs. In those areas, vaccination is of benefit in reducing clinical disease. ..."
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Everyone going there should at least treat with Advantix II or the like.
Perhaps Jack Unbehaun (junbe) can tell us his experience with Lyme in western Wisconsin. Ann Heise must know the stories from that region, too. When I used to belong to Blackhawk RC, I used to put pyrethrin spray on the dogs as soon as I got there. I still use it on my boots and pant legs around here. It's not Spring in Iowa unless you pick off a few ticks...
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I have vaccinated my dogs for Lyme (and Lepto) annually for years. We live on the edge of an area of high incidence of Lyme and I travel a lot with my dogs. My vet didn't used to carry the Lepto combination vaccine because it's not very common here and Dachunds are sensitive to it, so I did it myself in consultation with him. This year he had it and I got the shots there. (He has been giving the Lyme because I couldn't get the recombitec vaccine.)
I also got the human vaccine over a decade ago when it was available. Last summer my wife and I got a rash that looked like Lyme and my physician treated me immediately. My wife's didn't treat her because she is sensitive to doxycycline. My test came back positive, hers negative (and my positive could have been my vaccination, I suppose.)
Right now my daughter has symptoms that might be Lyme's. It's very serious if it's not treated soon...
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So consult with your vet (or physician). Advice like "trimming your lawn" isn't going to help field trial/hunting dogs...
Good luck avoiding all the tick-borne diseases!