Many dog owners may not realize that Lyme disease is a big problem in the Maryland area. However, it is a very widespread issue and quite a few dogs have become ill. Despite treatment, a number of those dogs, including my beloved Standard Poodle, died of related complications.

Luckily, there are things you can do to help keep your dog safe.

• Apply a good tick preventative. Frontline and Advantix are two of the major topical preventatives.
• Discuss the Lyme Disease vaccine with your vet. It is possible for your dog to still catch Lyme Disease if he gets Frontline but isn’t protected by the vaccine, but not all vets recommend the Lyme Disease vaccine for all dogs.
• Keep the lawn cut short and make sure you remove debris. Ticks love tall grass and piles of brush.
• Treat areas where your dog spends a lot of time. I discussed the strong pesticides created to destroy ticks and 30 or more other critters with my vet and with the local extension office. Both agreed that they really do more harm than good, since a tick can still be dropped in by a passing squirrel and pet owners may tend to relax and be less diligent in checking for ticks than they were before treating their lawns. However, I’ve heard more than one person swear by dawn dish detergent sprayed on their la wns because the detergent smothers ticks.