At Home Lyme Disease Test For Dogs

Best For Dna Test: Selfdecode

Self Decode

• Tests for chronic conditions related to Lyme disease like PTLDS

• Results in 6-8 weeks

SelfDecode searches for more than Lyme disease. When you take an at-home test through this company, youll receive an entire mock-up of your DNA. You will know if you ever had Lyme disease in the past, as well as if you are susceptible to PTLDS, a chronic condition triggered by Lyme Disease.

The test involves taking a simple cheek swab, after which the test is mailed back to the companys lab. After six to eight weeks, you will receive your results via email, and you will be contacted by a medical professional to see what the next steps are.

This is a subscription service that costs just under roughly $100 a year, so you will be able to check yourself for Lyme disease regularly when the test is shipped out. This service is great for those who enjoy the outdoors and are exposed to ticks a lot.

SelfDecodes test is not covered by insurance, but most primary care physicians will accept these results.

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What To Do With A Positive Lyme Test Result

Richard E. Goldstein, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM & ECVIM , Cornell University

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What should I do when a patient has a positive result on a Lyme serologic test?

Advantages Of The Canine Lyme Multiplex Assay

The Canine Lyme Multiplex Assay is available only at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University. It combines the results obtained by previous ELISA and Western blot testing and exceeds the information obtained by tests that are based on a single antigen of B. burgdorferi such as C6. The Lyme Multiplex Assay provides information whether the dog got infected with B. burgdorferi and when the infection occurred. The test results are fully quantitative and appropriate to follow-up on treatment success or response to vaccination. The advantages of the Lyme Multiplex Assay compared to other Lyme tests are:

The Lyme Multiplex Assay result provides advanced information beyond any of the currently available Lyme disease testing methods. Lyme Multiplex Assay testing allows a better definition of the dogs current infection status and assists in determining treatment options and prognosis. The infection status can also be determined in most vaccinated dogs. Interpretation varies slightly depending on the vaccine used.

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What Does A Dog With Lyme Disease Look Like

Many animals can have Lyme disease and show no signs. In dogs, the most common signs include fever, loss of appetite, painful or swollen joints, lameness that comes and goes, swollen lymph nodes, and lethargy. If Lyme disease is left untreated it can lead to damage in the kidneys, nervous system, and heart.

Where Lyme Disease Occurs

In the United States, Lyme disease typically occurs in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and North Central states. It has also been reported to occur in Northern California. The most prevalent strain causing Lyme Disease in the United States is Borrelia burgdorferi.

If you live or have traveled to a state where Lyme disease infections are endemic, this increases your risk. Lyme disease is endemic in the following states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. For regulatory reasons, Everlywell is not able to offer testing in New Jersey, New York, or Rhode Island.

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When Should I Get A Lyme Disease Test

Lyme disease testing is only recommended under certain circumstances. In general, antibody tests are conducted when you have symptoms of Lyme disease and a confirmed or likely exposure to ticks that are known to carry Borrelia. In these cases, the timing of testing is important. Because antibodies may not form for a few weeks, testing soon after a tick bite or development of a skin rash may cause misleading results.

Antibody testing is not advised if you do not have symptoms of Lyme disease, including for people who live in areas that are confirmed to have the types of ticks that can transmit Borrelia. Testing is also not recommended if you have general symptoms, such as joint pain, but no likely exposure to Borrelia-carrying ticks.

If you have had a tick bite and/or symptoms of Lyme disease, you should talk with your doctor who can address whether Lyme disease antibody testing is appropriate in your situation.

Cdc Supports The Development Of New Tests

New tests may be developed as alternatives to one or both steps of the two-step process. Before CDC will recommend new tests, they must be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration . For more details, see: Recommendations for Test Performance and Interpretation from the Second National Conference on Serologic Diagnosis of Lyme Disease.

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Can I Catch Lyme Disease From My Dog

Dogs are not a direct source of infection for people. Lyme disease cant be transmitted from one pet to another, nor from pets to humans, except through tick bites. However, a carrier tick could come into your house on your dogs fur and get on you.

If your dog is diagnosed with Lyme disease, you and any other pets have probably been in the same outdoor environment and may also be at risk, so it is a good idea to consult with your physician and veterinarian to see whether you should test other pets or family members.

Lyme Quantitative C6 Antibody Test

The Lyme Quantitative C6 antibody test is a more advanced Lyme disease test that may be used in addition to or in lieu of standard blood tests. This test has many benefits over older and less reliable methods, as it’s more specific and can usually differentiate the presence of infection from simple exposure. In the case of the C6 antibody test, dogs that have successfully fought off the infection and those that have been vaccinated should not test positive for Lyme disease. This test is more economically priced than older tests and presents more informative results.

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What Happens If You Go Untreated For Lyme Disease

If you happen to test positive for Lyme disease but go untreated, then your symptoms may increase significantly. You may develop early-onset arthritis, facial palsy, and inflammation of the brain stem and spine. Those symptoms can affect how your brain works and your ability to function cognitively.

The Blood Tests Can Have False Positives

The blood tests can trigger false positives, suggesting that you have the disease when you really dont. This can happen in up to one out of four tests.

This can lead to unnecessary treatment with antibiotics. These drugs are usually safe, but they sometimes cause side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight. In rare cases, they can even cause dangerous allergic reactions.

Using too many antibiotics can also lead to the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. This means that bacteria in your body may get stronger and more difficult to treat with antibiotics in the future.

A false positive can also lead to more unneeded blood tests, urine tests, X-rays, and doctor visits.

If you have a false positive, you may not get treated for the real cause of your pain. For example, rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that causes joint pain. It can lead to permanent and severe joint damage if you do not start taking the right medicines as early as possible.

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How Long Does It Take For Antibiotics To Work For Lyme Disease

Although most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with a 2- to 4-week course of oral antibiotics, patients can sometimes have symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking that lasts for more than 6 months after they finish treatment. This condition is called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome .

What Is A Tick

• A tick is a parasite that is 3 to 5 mm in size. They are so small that it can be hard to spot them immediately.
• They are the most common trouble for pets, especially the ones that roam outside more often.
• They feed on animals blood. Often time they go unnoticed because of their small size and painless bites.
• There are also different types of ticks. A deer tick is a common kind in the United States.

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Lyme Disease In Dogs: 5 Things Pet Owners Should Know

Dogs may develop Lyme disease from the bite of a blacklegged tick, which may transmit bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi. Once ill, dogs can become feverish and lame in one or more joints. They also may exhibit sluggishness, and their lymph nodes may swell. A more serious form of the disease that affects the kidneys often is fatal.

The good news? The infection that can cause Lyme disease is preventable.

Here are five things for pet owners to know about helping protect dogs from Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease In Europe And Asia

Lyme disease can also occur in Europe and Asia, where Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii are most commonly found.

Ticks infected with a Lyme disease bacterium can be found in woodlands across the European continent from northern Turkey to northern Sweden. However, Lyme disease is considered endemic in central Europe, where the following countries have the highest tick infection rates: Austria, Czech Republic, southern Germany,Switzerland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. In Europe, Lyme disease is primarily transmitted by the castor bean tick.

Lyme disease has been reported throughout Asia, as well, such as in Russia, Mongolia, northern China, Japan, and Koreaâ âthough infection from a Lyme disease bacterium appears to be relatively uncommon in these areas. In Asia, Lyme disease is transmitted by the taiga tick .

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How Can The Lyme Multiplex Assay Be Compared To Other Serological Lyme Assays

Researchers at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University have compared the former ELISA/Western blot procedure and the commonly used C6-based assays with the Canine Lyme Multiplex Assay9. Lyme Multiplex Assay OspF and C6 results highly correlate for the identification of infected or non-infected dogs. Antibodies to OspF and C6 provide robust markers of infection in dogs. However, the multiplex assay provides additional information on the dogs infection stage and vaccination status.

Kidney Damage Caused By Lyme Disease

More serious complications, although uncommon, include:

• Damage to the kidneys
• Rarely, heart or nervous system disease 1,2

Lyme disease sometimes leads to glomerulonephritisthe inflammation and accompanying dysfunction of the kidneyâs glomeruli .

Eventually, kidney failure may set in as the dog begins to exhibit signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, weight loss, increased urination and thirst, and abnormal fluid buildups that can appear as swollen limbs.

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Other Canine Diseases Carried By Ticks

Ticks can also carry several other less common but serious bacterial diseases affecting dogs, including anaplasmosis and babesiosis.

Anaplasmosis can involve symptoms similar to those for Lyme disease. Babesiosis can present with a wide range of symptoms, from sudden and severe shock, high fever, and dark urine to a slowly progressing infection with more subtle clinical signs. Diagnosis of both diseases includes blood tests similar to those used to check for Lyme disease.

Sometimes, dogs and people can become sick with co-infection of multiple tick-borne diseases, where more than one type of disease-causing bacteria is transmitted through a tick bite. This situation can make diagnosis and treatment even more challenging and difficult.

Do Antibodies To B Burgdorferi Determine Active Infection

In untreated animals, antibodies to OspC and/or OspF are indicators of infection with B. burgdorferi. Many infected animals dont show clinical signs and maintain constant antibody levels to the pathogen. It is believed that many animals can control the persistent infection. However, increasing antibody values indicate re-activation of or re-infection with the pathogen.

In treated animals, antibody levels decrease slowly and are usually still detectable for several months if treatment was successful.

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British Columbia Specific Information

Ticks are tiny bugs which feed on blood. For information on ticks, removing ticks, and how to avoid being bitten, see HealthLinkBC File #01 Tick Bites and Disease. You may also be interested in the HealthLinkBC File #96 Insect Repellent and DEET.

While most tick bites do not result in diseases, some can. Some of the diseases passed on by ticks include relapsing fever, tularemia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever , Q Fever and anaplasmosis. The most well-known is Lyme disease. For more information on Lyme Disease, visit BC Centre for Disease Control – Lyme Disease .

How Do You Test For Lyme Disease With An At

Hereâs how to check for Lyme disease with the Everlywell test.

To take our at-home Lyme Disease Test, collect a small sample of blood with a simple finger prick. Youâll then send the sample to a lab for analysis , and youâll be able to view your results on our secure, online platform.

Consider taking this Lyme test if:

• You have traveled to areas infested with ticks that can transmit Lyme bacteria , found ticks on your body, and are now experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease.
• If you believe you have been exposed to a tick and are experiencing symptoms , taking this antibody test can help assess for Lyme disease. If you have been tested previously, but are now having new symptoms, this Lyme disease test kit can also help.

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Is Lyme Disease Curable

While there is no vaccine to prevent us from getting Lyme disease, it can be treated with antibiotics, and most people recover within a few weeks. However, some people can get what is known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, in which symptoms such as pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking can last for months.

Canine Lyme Disease: How Real Is The Threat

Issue:

Canine Lyme disease, also called canine Lyme borreliosis, is among the most familiar tick transmitted infections known to occur in humans and dogs residing in North America.

Despite being the subject of review articles,1,2 research studies, scientific proceedings, and symposia, canine Lyme borreliosis continues to generate considerable controversy in clinical practice, particularly as it pertains to exposure risk, diagnosis, consequences of infection, and even prevention. This article addresses key controversies and current recommendations regarding management of dogs at risk for canine Lyme borreliosis.

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Arthritis Caused By Lyme Disease

There are many causes for arthritis, and your veterinarian will focus on differentiating arthritis initiated by Lyme disease from other inflammatory arthritic disorders, such as trauma and degenerative joint disease.

Immune-mediated diseases will also be considered as a possible cause of the symptoms. X-rays of the painful joints will allow your doctor to examine the bones for abnormalities.

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Does Lymes Disease Go Away

Lyme disease is caused by infection with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Although most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with a 2- to 4-week course of oral antibiotics, patients can sometimes have symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking that last for more than 6 months after they finish treatment.

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Treating Asymptomatic Lyme Disease In Dogs

If your dog has tested positive for Lyme disease and isnt showing any symptoms, you may be wondering why you need to treat them for the disease. After all, if your dog cant give you Lyme disease and they arent showing any signs of having it, why treat them?

The answer is in how Lyme disease attacks the body. Even if the dog isnt currently showing symptoms of Lyme disease, that doesnt mean they wont eventually start developing symptoms. And if Lyme disease is allowed to ravage the body unchecked, the symptoms that eventually show up can be worse than any mild obvious symptoms, such as kidney damage.

What Does The Test Measure

Lyme disease testing measures the levels of antibodies in the blood. In particular, it looks for forms of antibodies known as immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G that are specific to Borrelia bacteria. The immune system produces these antibodies as part of its response to infection.

IgM levels are usually highest a few weeks after infection. IgG levels can take longer to build up, peaking within a few months after infection. While elevated IgM can reflect a current infection, both IgM and IgG antibodies can be present for months or even years after infection, and, as a result, may be found in people who do not have a current or active Borrelia infection.

To improve accuracy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises laboratories to conduct two stages of blood testing for these antibodies. If the first test is positive, a second test is conducted, usually with a different type of laboratory method.

Some products marketed as at-home Lyme disease test kits measure substances other than antibodies and use test samples other than blood. These alternative tests have not been shown to accurately or reliably determine if a person has Lyme disease or Borrelia infection. The CDC recommends against the use of any such unvalidated tests.

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