Landon Annual Vet Check

The calendar showed it was time for Landon’s annual vet check as well as his three-year rabies vaccination, but he scored lots of treats too.

Landon deciding whether he likes today's excursion.
Landon deciding whether he likes today’s excursion.

Asked if he wanted to go for a Jeep ride, Landon eagerly bounded down the steps and jumped up in The Herd’s limousine. Only once he realized that none of his siblings were on the trip did he question where we were headed. Always shy around people, he carefully inspected the room and was settling in for the visit when he overheard the word “vaccination.”

No one said anything about a shot. I am out of here.
No one said anything about a shot. I am out of here.

His three-year rabies booster applied, bloodwork showing good health (see our comments about Lyme below), and everything else checking out well, Landon decided this wasn’t a bad trip after all. That might have had something to do with the plentiful treats used to help win over our reluctant patient.

So, Doc, can you prescribe an increase in treats at home?
So, Doc, can you prescribe an increase in treats at home?

Our surprise yesterday was learning that Landon tested positive for exposure to Lyme bacteria. We can’t remember ever removing a tick from him and regularly use a tick repellant on all of the dogs, but he also came to us as an adult just like everyone else, so we don’t know much about his early life.

The good news is that the vast majority of dogs who test positive remain asymptomatic for their entire lives and never develop Lyme Disease. The standard treatment in cases like this is to do nothing but observe. With the new knowledge, we will keep a keen eye for any signs of lameness and can treat if the disease does develop.

5 Comments

  1. The Oceanside Animals on October 20, 2019 at 3:08 pm

    Lulu: “If you gotta go to the vet, the least they can do is give you cookies. I’m sending tail wags that the Lyme disease never manifests!”

  2. chris on October 16, 2019 at 10:37 am

    I second the herbals to treat lymes if you need to down the road. I made the mistake of giving one of my dogs the lymes vaccination back in the early 2000s when I did not know better. It caused him to have problems and then he tested positive for the lymes disease off the chart because of the vaccination. The vets said that could happen and did not know what to do about it or how to stop the side effects. I wish I had known better. We now live in an area where ticks are roaming free like the deer and I just make sure I check each day and pull them off.

  3. Juno's mom on October 16, 2019 at 9:59 am

    Hopefully he doesn’t develop symptoms. There are a number of herbals used to treat Lyme. I imagine they’d head it off at the pass too. It’s always a concern not knowing how well an animal has been cared for previously. Good thing he landed with you.

  4. S Deaver on October 16, 2019 at 9:38 am

    Beautiful patient! He looks so happy in all his pictures!

  5. Jean B Burkhardt on October 16, 2019 at 8:33 am

    Landon-great news and I don’t THINK the vet will prescribe MORE treats-lol! We adopted a dog too that tested positive for Lyme’s but no symptoms either. Just watch and observe!!! Good job Landon!

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