06/23/2026
TICK TICK TICK TICK! Is it only a matter of time before your dog gets Tick disease? In the last month, we have seen a tremendous UPTICK(pun intended), in tick disease. Mostly Anaplasmosis, some Ehrichia, and some Lyme Disease. These 3 diseases are part of our 4DX tick disease test that we suggest doing every year as part of the annual exam, and the number of positives justify this recommendation so we can diagnose early, and begin antibiotic treatment early in the disease to get a good treatment result. Most all of my patients are vaccinated for Lyme disease so we don't see Lyme as often, as we are pretty aggressive about vaccinating most dogs, and strongly recommending Credelio, and Bravecto as your oral tick prevention due to their speed of kill. What prompted me to make this post is 1. A few weeks ago, sadly, I had to euthanize what seemed to be the nicest, and most beloved dog you could ever meet, due to Lyme Disease Nephropathy, or kidney failure. She was middle aged, a new client, and was unvaccinated for Lyme,and was not using effective tick preventation. It was so sad for all of us, and frustrating for me, as I know these situations are preventable, although preventing tick disease in our area, requires the utmost in vigilance! 2. In the last month was have seen probably 2-3 times the amount of tick disease I've seen in the last few years, somewhere around 60 cases. I believe that dealing with Lyme and other tick diseases here in Central Pennsylvania, is the biggest medical issue I have dealt with in my career. When my staff and I are being hyper-vigilant, and asking about your Lyme vaccination status, recommending tick disease testing and year round tick prevention (Credelio I believe to be the fastest speed of kill), it is because we have to, or we wouldn't be doing a good job at preventive medicine. I look at recommending the best tick(and flea) prevention for your dog or cat based on lifestyle and location, the same way I would any other medical procedure, such as vaccinations, annual exams, checking stool samples for parasites, and spaying and neutering. It truly is of the utmost importance.
