Never hurts to be aware, but please don't panic over the prospect of you or your dogs getting lyme disease. Borellia burgdorferi (bacteria causing lyme) is spread by Ixodes scapularis (black legged deer tick) in the eastern US, specifically the northeast and upper Midwest. The chances of acquiring it in Florida are extremely low. Human incidence in FL is 0.4/100,000, and most cases were acquired by travel elsewhere. By contrast the incidence in Maine is 87.9, even Alaska was 0.7, so no need to panic. If you do watch for a rash, erythema chronicum migrans (ECM), it looks like a bulls eye target at least 3 inches across. (sorry Luvr, not blotchy) I've seen hundreds of them and they are pretty distinctive. Unfortunately, Southern tick associated rash illness (STARI) has a similar rash, is transmitted by the lone star tick, and is more prevalent in the south. It does not have the same consequences as lyme.
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