Lyme disease in Ct. (New Haven, Litchfield: home, to buy, living in)

ctkid · 03-11-2009, 08:29 PM

I may be making a move back to Ct. and wondering the status of lyme disease in Ct. Is it still as bad as it has been, or has it shown any decline in the last couple of years. Also, does anyone know someone who has Lyme disease and how has it affected them. This was never a issue when I was a kid growing up in Ct., but alot has changed since then. I have concerns for the welfare of my family and pets and would appreciate any feedback you can give me.

CrissCT · 03-12-2009, 05:31 AM

I think it is pretty bad here. My dog had a few ticks on her this fall until I got her on a preventative. Once my dog was on the tick medication they left her alone but then my son got a tick on him. Most other parents I talked to acted like it happens all the time. We live in a wooded area though. I meet people all the time here that have had lyme.

The vet just said my dog showed slight levels of lyme disease (I don't know if this is from the shot she received or if she truly has it -but she is on anti-biotics anyway just to be safe).

Having grown up in a very rural area in NY state, I never experienced this. My family still lives there and they don't have any kind of problems with ticks like we do here.

KH02 · 03-12-2009, 05:39 AM

I dont know people who have had it, but when i worked at an animal hospital i knew a dog who had it and we did save him, BUT his bill was 20,000 dollars when he checked out and for a long time he was mostly paralyzed and needed extensive therapy to get to get even partly better.
I think it's pretty bad here, but i wouldn't let it stop you from moving, just stay out of woods and fields etc. We spray our yard every year for bugs and ticks and ever since we started doing that we havn't seen any ticks.

slw21 · 03-12-2009, 07:18 AM

I used to live in Litchfield county and knew several people and pets, including myself, who had Lyme disease. I was lucky and caught it early, but it definitely wasn't a fun thing to go through. I had an extremely high fever, muscles so stiff I could barely move, and extreme fatigue. Because I caught it early I responded really well to the antibiotics and today have no residual effects of the Lyme. I was out of work for only 2 weeks but had a low grade fever for about 2 months and the fatigue lasted almost 6 months.

The summer that I got it I was out in the woods a lot with my dog and working at an animal shelter so my chances of coming into contact with ticks was increased. If you and family are going to be outside a lot and have a wooded yard it's good to just get in the habit of doing a quick check for ticks when you come back in. I wouldn't let it deter you from making the move.

Also, the area you are in will make a difference. When I was living in New Haven I barely ever saw ticks after being in the woods with my dog, but up in Bethlehem, where my family lives, if I just go out to walk my dog around their property, I often come back inside with ticks. I highly recommend using a tick preventive on your pets.

andthentherewere3 · 03-12-2009, 07:23 AM

We are surrounded by several acres of woods, and have two outdoor cats and now one dog. (we used to have two dogs) We do find a lot of ticks on them, and occasionally on us as well. Several years ago my dh did get Lyme Disease, and was very sick for one day with a high fever, and was very achy. He found a small deer tick on his back, and it had the classic ring around it. The Dr. gave him amoxicillin, and within 24 hours he felt fine. Just check yourself thoroughly after any time you might have been outdoors, especially near a wooded area. It takes around 24 hours before a tick becomes completely attached.

JayCT · 03-12-2009, 07:30 AM

Also note that Lyme disease is not just found here in CT. The disease was first discovered here which is why it was named after Lyme, CT. I have relatives who have that live in other parts of the country and have not been to CT in over 30 years. Jay

CrissCT · 03-12-2009, 08:06 AM

Yes I think Lyme has pretty much spread to all parts of the country, but I think you are more apt to get a tick on you here than in other places. But like I said, we live in a wooded area.

JViello · 03-12-2009, 01:14 PM

I had lyme two years ago.

Came home, felt like I got hit by a bus.

Went on a anti-biotic and was feeling much better in about 48 hours. Then came the allergic reaction to the antibiotic and THAT was worse then the lyme!

LOL

No side effects. Nothing scary or hard to treat IMHO.

If you don't treat it over time - 6 months or better you can develop joint issues etc. BUT, I don't know how people can say "I didn't know I had it" I mean you feel like you fell off a building and broke every bone in your body for crying out loud.

Oh and I got it from my fur bag Maine Coon Cat who insists on curling up with me at night when I'm half a sleep. He shared a tick with me.

He gets hammered because my neighbor refuses to trim the overgrown on his property and it's loaded with them.

Yankeerose00 · 03-12-2009, 01:45 PM

Isn't there a vaccine for dogs that is specifically for lyme? Also what is the best kind of tick preventative? I used to buy Frontline Plus that was supposed to be for fleas and ticks but when I moved to VA, the vet there didn't carry Frontline Plus because he said it didn't work. So what is the best stuff to keep ticks off dogs? My cats stay inside but our two dogs go out. It's not like you can see a deer tick on a dog. So how do you know if your dog has lyme?

Also, what do you spray your yard with? Is there a specific spray to buy that you can use or do you have a service come spray?

JViello · 03-12-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yankeerose00

Isn't there a vaccine for dogs that is specifically for lyme? Also what is the best kind of tick preventative? I used to buy Frontline Plus that was supposed to be for fleas and ticks but when I moved to VA, the vet there didn't carry Frontline Plus because he said it didn't work. So what is the best stuff to keep ticks off dogs? My cats stay inside but our two dogs go out. It's not like you can see a deer tick on a dog. So how do you know if your dog has lyme?

Also, what do you spray your yard with? Is there a specific spray to buy that you can use or do you have a service come spray?

Well, here is what I know and/or what my Vet told me.

There is no vaccine. It's not viral, it's a bacterial infection that gets in your bloodstream. So the only way to cure it is to get it.

A course of antibiotics works quickly and effectively. Like I and other said 24-48hrs you are back to normal. No big deal.

As for a "blocker" I was told there is no such thing to keep ticks off the animals and that all the "blockers" do is stop the tick from biting deep into the pet and they will fall off in 24 hours.

Having said that, I decided against it as I catch 99% of the ticks on my hair monster cat. I'd rather do that then have them "fall off" and be in the house.

I simply spray my yard with the off the shelf Bayer stuff at the Home Box Stores. I get a couple gallons, put it in a pump sprayer and go to town. Works great and costs less than $30.00.

I don't do it often because it kills all insects and I'm not interested in doing that. Usually just spring and fall.