Lyme Vaccination & Infection

[TSomm]

Looking for some advice as I'm a bit confused...

My rescue dog was vaccinated for Lyme when we first got him and put on Frontline monthly. About a year later he tested positive for Lyme and was put on a full month cycle of antibiotics. My vet claims he still will need his yearly Lyme booster, but "a different type". My thought it, if he's got Lyme, why does he need more vaccine? I've also stopped Frontline since being pregnant and just check him thoroughly after walks.

Does he still need a Lyme shot?

[Oubliette8]

My understanding is that some tests used to detect Lyme disease will show a false positive if used on vaccinated dogs. So he may not have had Lyme disease to start with. Lyme disease vaccination is somewhat controversial. i choose NOT to vaccinate my own dog, despite her frequently being exposed to ticks. The Frontline should kill ticks with 24 hours, a tick must be attached more than 24 hours to transmit Lyme. I know you said you have stopped Frontline while you are pregnant, so I wanted to point out- the ticks that cause Lyme disease are VERY small. At the stage they normally transmit Lyme, they are about the size of a poppy seed. If you frequent tick infested areas, you might want to find alternate tick repellent, or alternate dog walking areas.

As far as needing vaccination to maintain immunity, Lyme disease is bacterial, not viral. Generally viral disease (like Chicken pox) once you have you develop a long term immunity. Bacterial disease however do NOT develop immunity. Vaccines for bacteria born diseases need to be repeated yearly in general for dogs. Bacterial vaccines are bordatella (kennel cough) Leptospirosis, and Lyme. None are considered "core" vaccines by the American Animal Hospital Association.

I've found Lyme vaccination to be controversial among dog owners. I choose not to give it, but I know others who have read the research and choose to vaccinate. I would recommend doing your own research, and making a decision based on your own individual situation.

[TSomm]

Thanks for your response - I really appreciate it.

Your explanation of the bacterial vs viral diseases helped quite a bit. We live in a hotbed of lyme activitiy in Eastern PA and used to frequent the woods several times a week and so are exposed to ticks quite often. He tested positive for the basic test last May and then went back for a follow up C6 test which also tested positive. I was under the impression this C6 blood test is more definitive and gives a quantitative value rather than a simple has it/doesn't have it result. Earlier this month he went back for a 6 month followup test and his values were much more "under control" (34, I believe).

I will need to do more research because I was always under the impression that once you contract Lyme, you always have Lyme, it's just the symptoms you have to manage. So that is why I didn't understand why an additional Lyme vaccine would be needed.

In any case, we are now staying away from the wooded areas until the hard frosts hit and I feel safe going again. When we were going, it was not uncommon for me to find 5-6 ticks to pick off each time. And yes, I protect myself and stay out of the brush.