Veterinary professionals have reported a 560 percent rise in cases relating to Lyme Disease among UK pets in the last six years.
The statistics were reported by vet charity the PDSA and echo the rising number of people diagnosed with the debilitating disease.
Lyme Disease (Borreliosis) is caused by ticks that are found in woodland and long grass. It can cause fever, pain and swelling in the joints, crippling arthritis, nerve damage and even meningitis in pets.
PDSA saw around 100 cases of suspected or confirmed Lyme Disease in 2015 – an increase of 560 percent since 2009, when the charity saw just 15 cases.
PDSA vet Vicki Larkham-Jones, warned that the figures were likely to be “just the tip of the iceberg” as many cases go unreported.
She added: “Although the tick population appears to be on the increase, the majority of these parasites do not cause Lyme Disease.”
PDSA has produced a downloadable leaflet on prevention measures, available at www.pdsa.org.uk and is also delivering 300,000 parasite prevention treatments this year.
