Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a relatively new disease in dogs. It was first diagnosed in 1984. Today southeast Pennsylvania is a high-risk area for Lyme disease. This article will focus on Lyme disease in dogs but please remember that people are also susceptible.

What Causes Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to your dog when a deer tick, Ixodes scapularis feeds on your dog for at least 48 hours. Deer ticks are very small and it is easy to miss seeing them through your dogs' coat.

What are the Signs of Lyme Disease?

Most dogs that get Lyme disease show no signs of it at all and are not negatively affected by the organism at all. The most common sign of disease we see is joint pain and sometimes fever. A very small number of dogs develop kidney failure when they have Lyme disease and most of these dogs die. This last group of dogs is the big reason why we need to prevent Lyme disease.

How Do I Test My Dog For Lyme Disease?

We have a combination test for Heartworm disease, Ehrlichia and Lyme disease. We need a small blood sample from your dog and the actual test only takes about 10 minutes to run. Whenever we have a positive Lyme test we will ask for a urine sample to check for protein in the urine, as this is the first indicator for kidney failure due to Lyme disease. The Lyme test will remain positive for at least 6 months so we do not re-test after treatment.

How Is Lyme Disease Treated?

Dogs with no protein in their urine are treated for 6 weeks with Doxycycline or Amoxicillin. Dogs with joint pain usually show great improvement within 24 - 48 hours from starting treatment and most make a full recovery with no long-term complications. A very small number of dogs will have chronic arthritis problems. Dogs showing signs of kidney failure will be started on aggressive IV fluid therapy as well as antibiotics but the prognosis for recovery is poor.

How Do I Prevent Lyme Disease?

Tick control is the best prevention. There are several tick repellent compounds available. Be sure to follow the product label instructions carefully, to reduce the risk of adverse side effects. No preventative is 100% effective, so remember to perform regular tick checks on your pet. If you can keep ticks from feeding on your dog, you can prevent transmission of the disease.
Vaccination is also available. Unfortunately this is not right for every dog. There may be more side effects with this vaccine than what we see with other vaccines so please discuss with your veterinarian if Lyme vaccination is right for your dog.

Can I Get Lyme Disease From My Dog?

No, you cannot get Lyme disease from touching your dog or if your dog licks you. BUT an infected tick could be carried to you by your dog and bite you. There is also a low risk during removal of a tick from your pet if you have cuts in your skin. Most importantly you can acquire Lyme disease if you are exposed to ticks in the same area where your dog picked up deer ticks. Good tick control is essential for you and your family as well as your pets.