Yes, there is a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs, and it has been available for years. Unlike in humans, where no Lyme vaccine is currently on the market, dogs have multiple approved options. The most widely used is VANGUARD crLyme, made by Zoetis, which has distributed over 10.5 million doses in North America since its approval in 2016. The vaccine is classified as “non-core,” meaning it’s recommended based on where you live and how much time your dog spends outdoors rather than being given to every dog automatically.
How the Vaccine Works
Lyme disease is caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which lives in the gut of blacklegged ticks (also called deer ticks). The bacterium coats itself in different surface proteins depending on where it is in its life cycle, and the vaccine takes advantage of this.
When the bacterium is sitting inside an unfed tick, it produces high levels of a protein called OspA. Once the tick bites a mammal and the bacterium enters the bloodstream, it switches to producing a different protein called OspC. Older vaccines only targeted OspA, which meant they could neutralize the bacterium inside the tick during feeding but had no effect once the infection reached the dog’s body. Newer vaccines like VANGUARD crLyme target both OspA and OspC, creating two independent layers of defense: one that works in the tick and one that works in the dog. This dual approach provides synergistic protection across both stages of infection.
How Well It Works
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found that reported efficacy of Lyme vaccines in dogs ranges widely, from 50% to 100%. That’s a big spread, and it reflects differences in study design, vaccine type, and how “protection” was measured. The more meaningful finding from that analysis: vaccinated dogs had dramatically lower odds of developing the clinical signs of Lyme disease, including lameness, fever, depression, and loss of appetite, with odds ratios between 0.15 and 0.23 compared to unvaccinated dogs. In practical terms, that means vaccinated dogs were roughly four to seven times less likely to show symptoms.
No vaccine offers absolute protection, so tick prevention (topical treatments, tick collars, or oral preventatives) remains important even for vaccinated dogs.
Vaccination Schedule and Cost
The schedule is the same regardless of your dog’s age. Your dog receives two initial doses spaced two to four weeks apart, followed by a single booster within one year. After that, annual boosters maintain protection. Puppies can start the series as early as 12 weeks old, though your vet will factor in what other vaccines your puppy is receiving at the same time.
In 2025, expect to pay between $30 and $65 per dose, so the initial two-dose series runs roughly $60 to $130 before any exam fees. Annual boosters cost the same per dose. Some veterinary clinics bundle vaccination visits with wellness exams, which can offset the cost slightly.
Side Effects
The vaccine is well tolerated. In a large retrospective study, only 7% of vaccine injections produced any side effect at all, and those were limited to mild swelling or tenderness at the injection site lasting hours to days. About 4% of dogs seemed tired for a day or two after vaccination, 2% showed signs of moderate pain, and less than 1% had noticeable swelling. Serious adverse reactions are rare. These numbers are comparable to what you’d see with other routine canine vaccines.
Which Dogs Should Get It
The American Animal Hospital Association recommends the Lyme vaccine for dogs that live in or travel to areas where Lyme disease is common or emerging. In the United States, that primarily means the Northeast, upper Midwest, and mid-Atlantic states, though the range of infected ticks continues to expand. Dogs with heavy outdoor exposure (hiking, hunting, living near wooded or grassy areas) face the highest risk.
If you live in a low-risk area and your dog rarely encounters tick habitat, the vaccine may not be necessary. Your vet can help you weigh the decision based on local tick surveillance data and your dog’s lifestyle.
Testing Still Works After Vaccination
One common concern is whether vaccinating your dog will make future Lyme disease tests unreliable. The standard screening test used by most veterinary clinics, the SNAP 4Dx Plus, detects antibodies to a specific bacterial protein called C6 that is not included in any Lyme vaccine. This means vaccination does not cause false positives on the test. Your vet can still accurately screen for active or past Lyme infections in a vaccinated dog, which makes monitoring straightforward even after the vaccine series.