This post comes with great personal sacrifice. I lost my Blaze, my sweet loving 15-year old American Eskimo. I did not vaccinate him for the areas where we went traveling, specifically New England, for 8 weeks in July and August, 2018. We traveled in our RV and camped in Misquamicut, Rhode Island; Bar Harbor, Maine; the White Mountain National Park area of New Hampshire; Lake George and Niagara Falls, New York. Areas well known for tick-borne Lyme disease
A groomer in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire found a dead tick on Blaze’s tail. It had engorged and bled out. The Seresto collar Blaze wore ultimately I believe killed the tick. But that tick must have been carrying Lyme disease, to which my sweet puppy was not immunized.
I was born in New England. I lived there up until I was 21 years old! I am aware that Lyme disease is a problem particularly in Massachusetts! This was not news to me! Did I think that a tick carrying Lyme disease would get to my dogs in the brief 8 weeks that I traveled through the area? No. I didn’t think about it. And that was the problem. A very painful lesson that resulted in my sweet dog suffering, with me tortured right along with him.
Back when we found the tick I took him to a vet, Grand Island Animal Hospital in New York. I was concerned about the wound that was created by the tick. The Vet suggested we clean the area with witch hazel. We chatted, mentioned that we were traveling through. We paid for the office visit and left. Never did the vet inquire about whether Blaze had been vaccinated for Lyme disease, so prevalent in New England. And sadly, I didn’t think, AGAIN, to ask.
I had so many opportunities to help him that I didn’t see until it was too late. As the Lyme disease started to attack his joints he refused to walk down the stairs of the RV to go for walks. I thought it was just that stage of getting old.
We arrived in Baja when I noticed an extremely swollen leg joint. Lyme disease does not exist in Baja so it proved difficult to diagnose. The local vet tested and treated him. We tried many different remedies. It was October now. I had forgotten the tick. After almost a month of Vet visits and the slow, painful demise of my sweet puppy, we finally did remember the tick and had him tested for Lyme. It is somewhat complicated to diagnose, and the test came back negative. At this point I couldn’t allow Blaze to suffer any longer.
I rightfully beat myself up. I did everything wrong. Not anticipating the need for vaccinations. Not acting quickly enough when trouble came. Ignoring signs. My grief was so complete, I had to do something to shift my focus in a healthier, more positive direction. So having had much event planning and production experience, I volunteered to chair a benefit in Baja for a local orphanage. I immersed myself fully into creating a Fiesta dinner dance silent auction raffle event with 5 months of planning, and came away doubling the funds raised the previous record-setting year.
I think about the loss of my Blaze nearly every day. And I dearly hope this post helps someone avoid my mistake. Research the areas you plan to travel to. Ask your vet about necessary vaccines and precautions you should take.
The one part of this sad story that warms my heart is that I was able to channel my grief into something great. While privately, I did it for Blaze, in the end I did it for the children!
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