Overview

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks to dogs, as well as other animals and people. It is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.

Most Lyme disease in Canada is spread by the deer tick, which is found primarily in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba.¹ The western black-legged tick is the primary cause of Lyme disease transmission in British Columbia.¹ No larger than the head of a pin, the ticks responsible for transmitting Lyme disease are smaller than most other ticks found on dogs.

1. Ogden NH, Lindsay LR, Morshed M, Sockett PN, Artsob H. The emergence of Lyme disease in Canada. CMAJ. 2009;180(12):1221–1224.