“We learned about that years ago,” is not uncommon to hear when visiting with animal health pros. BUT, consider when or if pet owners last received Lyme disease education. With tick-associated Lyme disease migrating westward, it is important to include Lyme disease education with recommendations for flea, 
tick and heartworm medications to reduce the potential for B. burgdorferi-infected tick exposure.
Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, May/June 2020. Link. Lyme disease is a significant medical concern for canine and public health. Effective measures for preventing Lyme disease in dogs include proper use of tick control products and risk-based use of Lyme vaccines.
INSIGHTS: Knowledge retained but not activated is old school. It is our job as animal health pros to:
- Use open-ended questions to check animal owner knowledge about tick-borne disease
- Discuss market intelligence and your experiences about Lyme risks to increase owners’ knowledge
- Offer prevention solutions . . . yes, plural
- Triangulate the solutions for owners to consider for their animals
- Help them make the best decision for the individual animal’s situation and lifestyle including travel plans
- Train and discuss solutions with the entire staff; some of them may be new to the knowledge you already possess