Protecting Your Pet: Lyme disease

Pictures and memories are all Ray Patriacca has left of his 7-year-old hunting dog, Elmo.

"He was a super super dog, probably the best dog I ever owned," Patriacca said.

Elmo died of a rare form of Lyme disease that caused his kidneys to fail.

"It was too late then to try and save him," Patriacca said.

But it wasn't too late for Elmo's son, Rocky, whose Lyme disease was caught early.

The energetic 3-year-old is being treated with antibiotics and a series of vaccines.

But doctors say the best medicine is prevention.

"You should take advantage of in-office Lyme testing. It's offered by most veterinarians, and it takes about 10 minutes with three drops of blood. To prevent Lyme disease, I recommend that your dog get vaccinated for Lyme disease. I also recommend some form of tick control or tick repellent," said Dr. Susan Rosenblatt, Kindness Animal Hospital.

And be on the look out for symptoms, like swollen joints, muscle soreness, fever, chronic arthritis and weight loss.

As for Rocky, his Lyme disease remains dormant, and his owner wants to keep it that way.

"I do as much as I can you know, because he's an excellent dog. He's my best friend," Rocky's owner, Tino Degisi, said.

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