With spring finally here (maybe), ticks become a hazard for pets yet again, especially in their capacity to carry Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease is caused by a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. It is endemic on Long Island due to the large populations of deer that are host to Lyme Disease's most common carrier, the deer tick. If a dog goes outside at all, an infected tick can bite and transfer the disease.

The symptoms of lyme Disease can include arthritis (especially sudden lameness), fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. If these signs are evident, the dog should be brought to a veterinarian immediately for testing and treatment. Unfortunately, even with the board spectrum of antibiotics available today, treatment is not always totally successful.

Of course, the best treatment is prevention of the disease. Prevention would include routinely checking pets after they have been outside, carefully removing any ticks found, and using dips and collars especially made for ticks.

However, these preventive measures might not always work, especially since the deer tick is easy to miss due to its extremely small size. For this reason, if you find ticks on your dog regularly, vaccinating for Lyme Disease is recommended. It should be given in an initial series of two vaccinations given two to three weeks apart, then a single booster annually.

To relieve your mind of at lease one problem for your dogs this summer, start a regimen of checking your pets for ticks and immunize them for Lyme Disease if necessary.

The writers are Dr. Steven B. Holzman, Dr. William R. Haagenson and Dr. Kathleen Tapley. They are associated with Nassau-Suffolk Veterinary Hospital of Farmingdale.