Quote Originally Posted by Freedom View Post
From what I have researched, the Lyme vaccine is a waste of money, and I don't bother with it. There are so many strains of Lyme out there, and the vaccine can only cover 2 or 3. The likelihood of that being the strain in your area, or that your dog gets, is close to the chances of winning the Powerball.
There are many tick borne illnesses - I think ticks are just as disgusting as mosquitos (the #1 disease carrier). Wisconsin is one of the worst states with Lyme Disease and I personally know many people and dogs affected by the disorder. I do not want to take any chances of my dog catching it, so I will do whatever I can to try to prevent it. No vaccine is 100% effective but it is still worth getting one if the risk of contracting it is high, imo - for both people and dogs. I chose to get her vaccinated against Leptospirosis as well, since we frequent areas where she can easily contract it. Just a slight peace of mind knowing that hopefully she is OK and will never have to deal with it.



Also, since we are on the topic of ticks- if you ever want to remove one easily without fear of ripping off the head - take a dab of vasoline and smother the tick with it. Wait a few minutes and the tick should back out if feeding, ticks breathe through their skin while feeding so if you cover them with vasoline they cannot get oxygen and need to come out to catch a breath.