Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. There are three species of tick that carry Lyme disease but the most common one is the deer tick. Lyme disease is transmitted by infected ticks that bite an animal. Once the bacteria is in the bloodstream it has a preference for joints and kidneys. Due to more mild winters (where the cold does not kill of ticks) and high deer populations in many of the Northeastern and Midwestern states, Lyme disease is becoming more and more prevalent.
What are the clinical signs of Lyme disease in Dogs?
Fever
Joint pain and/or swelling
Lack of appetite
Lethargy
The most common clinical presentation is called shifting leg lameness. Dogs will seem painful on one leg, but then a few hours later seem painful on a different joint. In other wards, they just seem generally painful. Fevers are common. When dogs are running a fever they tend to also not be eating and acting lethargic.
When the kidneys are affected, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and excessive drinking may be noted. The kidney form of the disease is relatively rare, but more likely to be fatal if contracted.
How is Lyme Disease diagnosed in Dogs?
Most dogs do not show symptoms of disease for several weeks to months after being infected by a tick bite. For this reason we do not recommend testing dogs for Lyme disease unless they are showing symptoms or have been bitten by a tick more than 3 weeks ago. The most common tests that are run involve checking antibody levels. The most common first line test looks for the presence or absence of antibodies to the bacteria. This test has a high chance of false negatives because the test may be done before antibodies have had the chance to develop or some dogs may never develop enough antibodies for the test to turn positive. If the test is positive and the dog is symptomatic, treatment would be initiated. Positive test results do not always indicate an active infection and further testing may be required for asymptomatic dogs that test positive (often a urinalysis). If the initial antibody test is negative but Lyme disease is still suspected an additional test called a C6 test is often run. C6 gives a quantitative number for the amount of antibodies present, which could confirm the suspicion of Lyme disease.
Treatment for Lyme Disease in Dogs
Treatment with antibiotics, typically Doxcycyline, for at least 30 days. The use of pain medications and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are often used initially to help alleviate any joint pain.
How to prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs
Check your dog for ticks after being outside- look between their toes, armpits, under tail, and under flappy ears
Remove any ticks immediately- a tick needs to be attached at least 36 hours to infect the host
Use a good tick preventative, veterinary products are superior to any product that you may find over the counter
VACCINATE- discuss with your veterinarian of course, but the vaccination is highly effective at preventing Lyme Disease infection. Vaccination for all dogs in areas where Lyme disease exists is highly recommended. The vaccination starts off with 2 vaccines given within 3 to 4 weeks apart and then yearly afterwards.
Vaccination in combination with use of a year round tick preventative is almost 100% effective at preventing Lyme disease infection.
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