To the editor:
An open letter to the medical community of North Bay,
From a veterinary point-of-view, this has been a worrisome year for tick-borne diseases, based on an informal survey I conducted within the veterinary community of North Bay and Callander. Four veterinary hospitals have had a total of 41 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in dogs in the last 10 months, all locally acquired.
As you know, prompt treatment directed at clearing the bacterial agent (Borrelia) from the bloodstream is important for overall prognosis and to limit acute and chronic damage in the body.
Recognizing that Lyme disease is very much a real and present danger in the North Bay area, should put medical practitioners on alert for patients who present with signs consistent with Lyme and ensure that they are adequately screened for this disease.
Yours in health,
Dr Neil Lawrence
Callander Animal Hospital and Wellness Centre
