How to Diagnose and Treat Lyme Disease in Dogs

Lyme disease in dogs is One of more common dog diseases.The disease one of the most commonly transmitted Tick-disease present.The Tick is infected when it bites deer mice that are carrying the infection.

Though all breeds of dogs can be infected with Lyme disease, the more susceptible breeds include Bernese mountain dogs, Golden retrievers, and Labrador retrievers.

it has been seen in dogs in every part of the United States.but it is more common in certain geographical areas, including California, New England, and parts of the American South.
Lyme Disease is named after the Connecticut town of Lyme, where the disease was first discovered.

• It is a disease that is worldwide and has been around for centuries with Chinese records providing written documentation on a disease with similar symptoms

About Lyme Disease In Dogs

Dogs get infected when bitten by an infectious Tick, and this spreads throughout its body.

The tick usually has to be on the dog’s body for almost 48 hours for this disease to be transmitted. It usually takes 2-5 months before any symptoms are visible.

It can be a very serious condition if Lyme disease in dogs is not treated urgently. It breaks down the immune system and Chronic Lyme disease can occur.

This may damage the heart muscles and nerves and also can develop into arthritis in the joints which can cripple the animals. This can also lead to glomerulonephritis which causes inflammation and damages to the kidney which can lead to death. The possible damages to the joint can be temporary and may last long after animal is treated.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

1-Typical symptoms of Lyme Disease in dogs include:

1.  lameness is one of the most common symptoms ofLyme Disease in dogs.Where The joints of dogs infected by Lyme disease get swollen causing lameness of the limbs among them.
2. some dogs which are not too severely infected develop only acute lameness, which lasts only for a few days though it may resurface after a few days or weeks in the same leg or a different leg.
3. This peculiar feature is also called “Shifting-leg lameness”, with the previously affected leg getting back to normal before another one becomes lame.

2-Other symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs are:

– Kidney problems .

Untreated Lyme disease can cause malfunctioning of the glomeruli (blood filters) in the kidney.

– starts showing signs

like vomiting, lack of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, fluid retention (particularly in the abdominal area, tissues and legs), increased thirst and more frequent urination. All this culminates in complete renal failure in the affected dog.

– Pain response

especially when the affected joint is touched.

– Change in gait

• The dog walks stiffly, with an arched back.
• General loss of appetite
• fever
• lack of interest in playing and depression.
  Abnormalities in breathing.
  In areas adjoining the tick bite, the superficial lymph nodes get swollen.
  Though not a regular feature, heart abnormalities have also been reported.
  Rarely, complications of the nervous system may also be seen.

The symptoms associated with Lyme disease in humans are never reported among dogs.

What Causes Transmit Lyme disease in dogs.

• Lyme disease in dogs caused by an organism known as a spirochaete and it is named Borrelia burgdorferi.
• It is carried by ticks and transferred to the person or animal when bitten.
• Dogs get Lyme disease if they get bitten by ticks that are infected with Borrelia burgdorferi.
• Such ticks are called deer ticks.
• Inspite of their name, deer ticks feed on other types of animals as well.
• When deer ticks bite a dog or remain attached to its body for 18 hours or more, they are likely to transmit the infection to the dog as well.

Which dogs can get affected with Lyme Disease ?

1.  In earlier years, the disease was mostly found in shelties and retrievers but as the years pass by.
2. more dogs of other breeds have been diagnosed with the disease.
3. Some dogs do not show any symptoms, the disease is recognized by testing at their vets. For those dogs that do not get frequent check-ups, one of the symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs is the animal’s lack of appetite. The animal will show no interest in whatever is going on around it.
4. Another thing that has come to be observed is that young dogs and puppies are more prone to this infection than fully grown dogs.
5. Though cases of Lyme disease in dogs have been reported all over Europe and the US, Pacific coastal states, the Atlantic area and the upper Midwestern states of the US has a higher incidence.

Diagnosis of Lyme disease in dogs.

Lyme disease in dogs is diagnosed based on the following

1-Symptoms, physical findings.

The most important indicator will be the condition of the skin near the area of the tick-bite. The vet will carefully check that area to see if the wound is still open or any parts of the tick’s body are still clinging to the dog’s body even after the tick itself has been removed.

2-History of possible exposure to infected ticks.

3-Laboratory tests.

• The most commonly used test for Lyme disease in dogs is the C6 Test and Quant C6 test.
• The veterinarian can carry out this test in his own office on a drop of blood taken from the infected dog.
• Besides checking for the presence of Lyme disease, this test also tells about the presence of heartworms and other tick-borne diseases in the dog, though a positive result does not confirm Lyme disease infection.
  If, however, the test result is positive, a second test (called the Quantitative C6 assay) will have to be conducted to confirm the presence of Lyme disease.
• This more advanced test tells in detail about the level of antibodies present in the dog’s blood, which are produced only when a dog is infected by Lyme disease.
  If the dog tests positive for either of the tests, the vet is likely to order a complete urinalysis to see if the dog’s kidneys have been affected by the infection.
  Synovial fluid might be drawn from the affected joints to check whether arthritis has been caused by Lyme disease or another cause.

Treatment of Lyme Disease in Dogs

If the animal shows any of these Symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs, testing can be done to confirm the disease

it can be cured by vaccination. Antibiotic can also be used but only if the disease has been detected early, otherwise it will not respond to the antibiotic.

Painkillers should not be used without consulting a veterinary doctor.

• A number of antibiotics are available to cure the dog of Lyme disease completely. A 30 day treatment of doxycycline has been found to be highly effective.
• The medication would be required for a longer period if kidney problems have already set in.
  Lyme disease in dogs in its initial stages can be treated with other milder antibiotics as well.
• Anti-inflammatory Remadyl might be given to the dog to provide it relief from joint pain.
• Early administration of antibiotics helps the condition of dogs improve significantly.
• though it is suspected that it can never be completely cured. It might become inactive for some time, but will never disappear.