Check pets for ticks: Manitoba dog dies from hundreds of bites

A Manitoba animal advocate is trying to get people to monitor their family pets more closely this Lyme disease awareness month.

Katie Powell said she's really vigilant when it comes to checking her dog Koda for ticks.

"Check behind the ears, they like warm spots," she said, picking over Koda.

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Powell is the founder of the Save A Dog Network Canada. Last week she rescued a stray on the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation who didn't have Lyme disease, but was covered with wood ticks.

She took the rescued dog to the vet and was told he was severely anemic in need of a blood transfusion, but he died before treatment.

"They literally killed him, they sucked the blood out of him," said Powell. "He was completely covered in ticks. Layers upon layers of full ticks, little ticks, nothing like I've ever seen before."

Powell named the stray Gunnar and started The Gunnar Project in his honour. People working with the project are raising money to buy tick collars and pay for other treatments to hand out on First Nations.

They'll also be educating people on First Nations about the dangers of Lyme disease.

Left unchecked, wood ticks can be a problem with pets, but they don't carry Lyme disease. On the other hand, deer ticks do carry the disease.

Dr. Karen Choptain, a veterinarian at Pembina Veterinary Hospital, said dogs that develop a limp or suddenly have trouble walking could be infected.

"[They'll look] like they're walking on glass or eggshells, their backs are arched and they are trying to put as little pressure on their toes," said Choptain.

She said Lyme disease can be prevented with a vaccine, but it's not 100 per cent effective. Special collars, and topical treatments like shampoos and powders can stop ticks from latching onto pets.

Powell plans to give out the collars and topical treatments in Sagkeeng First Nation, Little First Nation, Little Black River First nation and Peguis First Nation in the coming weeks.