Is There A Cure For Lyme Disease In Dogs

Antibody Titers For Lyme Disease

Antibody titers can provide helpful diagnostic information, although antibodies cannot be detected for 4 to 6 weeks after the bacteria have entered the dog.3,6

Diagnostic tests for antibodies to B burgdorferi are available as immunofluorescence assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay , Western blot, and polymerase chain reaction. ELISAs are available for in-house screening.2 Western blot testing is the gold standard and can be used if the ELISA result and the clinical presentation are discordant .1

Because most infections in dogs are subclinical, infection must be differentiated from previous exposure.1,3 In the absence of clinical signs, a positive antibody test result does not indicate disease 1 rather, a positive test result indicates only previous exposure to Borrelia bacteria.

What Happens To A Dog With Lyme Disease

When a dog gets Lyme disease, they may not show any symptoms for a while. Symptoms of Lyme disease tend to present after a few months, but only 5-10% of dogs who have Lyme disease will show symptoms. Treating Lyme disease early on is important because it minimizes the complications that result from Lyme.

While dogs with Lyme disease typically experience symptoms such as fever and lameness, these are just some of the complications that can arise from Lyme. Left untreated, Lyme in dogs can eventually cause issues with the heart, kidneys, and nervous system. These complications can lead to death in rare cases. Some dogs may also experience lifelong complications after contracting Lyme disease. However, most of the time dogs with Lyme are fine as long as you take them to the vet and get them started on antibiotics early on.

Your Dog And The Dangers Of Lyme Disease: Part Ii

Lyme disease is something you should know about, and Dr. Justine Lee is here to help. For more from Dr. Lee, find her on !

Iâve talked about what Lyme disease is and how to prevent it. Now, were going to focus on how to treat it and diagnose it accurately.Is Lyme disease treatable?If your dog tests positive for Lyme disease, or more importantly, is clinically sick from Lyme disease, then treatment includes an antibiotic called doxycycline . While this is a relatively safe antibiotic, doxycycline can cause vomiting, esophagitis or reflux, sun-sensitivity, and permanent yellowing of puppy teeth so make sure your dog really needs it before you give it! As an FYI, you can help prevent side effects from doxycycline by doing the following:

• When administering the pill, give it in a small meatball, followed by your pets normal meal. This will help push the pill into the stomach, preventing the pill from sitting in the esophagus.
• Dont give the pill right before your dog goes to bed otherwise, if the pill is sitting in the esophagus , it can result in severe esophagitis.
• Keep your outdoor dog inside while hes on the medication, due to the rare risk of sun sensitivity .
• Dont give this antibiotic with dairy products , as it inactivates the antibiotic.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

You May Like: What Happens When You Have Lyme Disease

How Is Lyme Disease Transmitted

Lyme disease bacteria live in deer, mice, and other small mammals. The bacteria replicate in the wildlife, although they do not become sick. A tick will feed on the infected wildlife and pick up the bacteria. The bacteria are then transmitted to another animal the next time they feed. If your dog is diagnosed with Lyme disease, you dont have to worry about catching it directly from them. Lyme disease is caused by spirochete bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi.

Natural Lyme Treatments For Dogs

When it comes to Lyme disease and exposure to the biting bugs that carry the disease i.e. ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, horseflies, etc. your dog may be your canary in a coalmine. In other words, because your furry friend is rambling through areas of higher exposure to these bugs than you, it may get exposed to Lyme disease before you do.

Consequently, you may notice your dog exhibiting the following symptoms, and if you do, you should contact your vet to have your pet tested for Lyme disease:

• Gastrointestinal problems

Like with humans, a 4-6 week course of doxycyline has the highest potential to knock the infection out and keep it from going into the chronic phase if caught within the first 60 days of infection onset.

However, if you dont catch it in time or if you are not interested in giving antibiotics to your pet, there are three natural treatments with high levels of effectiveness.

You May Like: Clinical Trials For Lyme Disease Treatment

Can I Give My Dog Lyme Disease Or Vice Versa

You cant give your dog Lyme disease, nor can your dog infect you. However, if either one of you has a tick, you should both be checked out by a medical professional. Its entirely possible that the tick may have traveled from your body to your dogs, or vice versa, without you realizing it. If you have an open wound, there is alsoa slight chance that the bacteria from the tick can pass through it, so make sure to be extra vigilant to keep yourself safe in those cases.

How Do I Prevent Lyme Disease In Dogs

After your dog walks through areas with long grass or thick underbrush where ticks might be hiding, it is a good idea to check them for ticks. Removing ticks can be a tricky process, if you spot a tick on your dog, contact your vet for detailed instructions.

Lyme disease is much more serious in humans than dogs, so it is doubly important that you check yourself for ticks too.

You dog cannot give you Lyme disease, they are not a risk to you or your family. However, if they bring an infected tick into your home, it might be able to transmit the disease to you.

Finally, make sure you follow good tick prevention practices all year long. Avoid areas with tall grass or brushing through undergrowth. Ask your vet about vaccinating your dog against Lyme and check your dog for ticks every time you take them outside.

Recommended Reading: Do Lyme Tick Bites Itch

How Much Does It Cost To Treat Lyme Disease

A long treatment course sounds pricey, doesnt it? The initial bloodwork for the Lyme disease test costs around $80. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, you must focus on treatment for your dogs Lyme disease.

Antibiotics arent cheap, and in some areas, a two-week supply can cost $400 or more. Blood tests are also needed, which cost about $80, and an exam fee can be $40 or more. How can you reduce these costs?

Consider pet insurance for this or any potential emergency you and your pet may happen upon. So long as it was not a pre-existing condition, pet insurance companies will pay for treatment medications, blood tests and potentially exam fees.

Cowden Protocol For Dogs

The Cowden Protocol was developed by Dr. William Lee Cowden, MD initially for the treatment of late-stage Borrelia and Lyme co-infections. Since the protocol helps to resolve the majority of the root causes of most patients symptoms in humans, it can also be used to treat post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome and many other chronic health conditions of unclear cause in dogs as well.

The Cowden Protocol utilizes 15 different products including 8 microbial defense herbals that are taken in rotation.

The majority of the protocol is administered through herbal tinctures, whereby drops of the treatment are mixed in water before ingesting, and it is easy to put these drops in your dogs water dish as long as you make certain your pet drinks all of it.

In regards to dosing for a dog, below are guidelines:

• Large dogs would take about ½ of the human dose
• Medium dogs would take about ¼ of the human dose
• Small dogs would take 1/10 of the human dose

Recommended Reading: Can Lyme Disease Be Cured

How Is Lyme Disease Prevented

Its not comforting to understand that such a small insect can have so much control when it comes to Lyme disease. A vector is an organism that transports and delivers an infectious organism from one host to another. In this case, the vector of Lyme disease is the deer tick in the Northeastern United States. Female ticks lay about 2,000 eggs in the spring. The tick will transmit the disease to a new mammal host. However, this process requires a minimum of 48 hours, and if the tick can be removed within that time frame, the dog or human will not get Lyme disease. This gives us control in the fact that we can vaccinate our dogs against Lyme disease and take preventative measures such as checking them for ticks after being outdoors.

How Is The Lyme Multiplex Assay Different From The Assay My Veterinarian Can Perform

Your veterinarian can perform a quick assay in-house that checks for antibodies against only one B. burgdorferi surface protein. The in-house assay cannot detect early infection, cannot determine vaccination status, and does not quantify the amount of antibodies your animal is producing. Quantifying antibodies is an important measure for successful treatment and to confirm cure from Lyme disease.

Don’t Miss: Symptoms Of Lyme Disease After Treatment

I Found A Tick On My Dog What Do I Do

If the tick is still attached, and your veterinarian is open and able to squeeze you in, prioritize this appointment. If you cannot get in to your vet right away, removing the tick yourself is your next best option. Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove it as close to the dog’s skin as possible. It’s most important to remove the tick at the head, as this is where they can transmit the disease from. It takes at least 24 hours for an infected tick to transmit the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, which makes removing the tick promptly so important.

If possible, take a clearly focused picture of the tick before removal to show your vet and then save the tick in a zip-lock bag. If the species of tick can be identified, then your vet will know what diseases the tick can potentially transmit.

Use Flea And Tick Preventives

Did you know that most flea and tick medications donât prevent ticks from jumping onto or even biting your dog? They kill ticks once they bite. In most cases, ticks must be attached for 24-48 hours to transmit Lyme disease, so preventative medications help thwart the diseaseâs spread. Consult with your veterinarian about the most appropriate product for your dog.

Don’t Miss: Lyme Disease Specialist Washington Dc

How Common Is Lyme Disease In Dogs In The Uk

Ticks andtick-borne diseases are rising in the UK, thanks to climate change. The Government previously estimated that there are around 2,000 to 3,000 new human cases of Lyme Disease every year. However, new research has shown that cases of Lyme disease in people in the UK may be three times higher than previous estimates putting the number of incidences at over 7,000 per year1.

As pet ownership rises and tick numbers increase, pet owners and our dogs are at more risk than ever. It goes without saying, the more time your dog spends roaming the great outdoors, the higher the chance they may get bitten. All dogs of any size, shape and breed are at risk of Lyme disease.

Natural Treatment For Lyme Disease In Dogs

Lyme disease in dogs is the leading tick-borne disease in the United States.

And while Lyme disease may not be common and many dogs never develop any symptoms, it is something that you need to treat if your dog starts showing signs

But if your dog does get this infection, dont run to the vet for drugs without trying these natural alternatives first.

You May Like: Dogs And Lyme Disease Treatment

How Long After Treatment Should The Horse/dog Be Re

Antibodies decrease slowly but gradually after the pathogen is cleared from the hosts circulation. Re-testing should not be performed too early. For horses/dogs with positive values for antibodies to OspF but negative values for antibodies to OspC , retesting should be done 3 months after the treatment was started. For horses with a positive OspC antibody value retesting can be done 6-8 weeks after the treatment started. At the time of retesting, a decrease of antibody levels can be expected in successfully treated animals. Serum antibodies may not have completely disappeared at this time. However, they should have dropped by about 40% of the original positive value.

Vaccinate Dogs At High Risk

For dogs at high risk, in addition to acaricides and environmental controls, vaccination can be considered. The vaccines work best when administered before dogs are exposed to B burgdorferiinfected ticks.2,4,6 Consult the individual vaccine manufacturers directions with regard to immunity duration.

Although Lyme vaccines are not considered core vaccines, the ACVIM Consensus group states that they can be helpful in Lyme diseaseendemic areas, especially for clients whose tick prevention compliance may be less than ideal. In the absence of studies, whether Lyme vaccination needs to be boosted every 6 or 12 months remains uncertain.4

The ACVIM Consensus group was split on the recommendation for routine use of these vaccines but did agree that the circulating immune complexes that increase transiently after vaccination have no known negative effect on the vaccinated dog.4 Group members felt that the most effective way to prevent infection with B burgdorferi is year-round tick control and that vaccination provides another layer of protection in Lyme diseaseendemic areas.4

Although preventing Lyme disease can seem overwhelming at first, if taken a step at a time, we can offer clients a good chance of protecting their dogs from infection with B burgdorferi and subsequent development of Lyme disease .

Also Check: Untreated Lyme Disease Years Later

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.

Lyme Disease From Adult Ticks

Adult ticks will seek new hosts throughout the fall. Their peak activity is between late October and early November.

Adults prefer taller vegetation. Theyre usually seen 3 feet off the ground on high grasses or leaves. Adults often use deer as hosts but theyre also happy with humans, dogs or horses.

Its believed that 50% of adult ticks carry Lyme disease in endemic areas of the Northeast. But, while adult ticks can carry Lyme disease, theyre less likely to pass it on to their host. This is because theyre larger and easier to detect within the first 24 to 36 hours.

Note: the timing of peak activity for each life stage of the tick may differ depending on your area. Check with local health departments for peak tick activity where you live.

Don’t Miss: Lyme Disease Specialist Hudson Valley Ny

Other Diagnostic Tests For Lyme Disease

For dogs showing active signs of disease, joint cytology can be helpful. Tapping 3 or 4 joints is recommended. In dogs with active disease, nondegenerative neutrophils in joint fluid may be increased. Culturing joint fluid to look for B burgdorferi bacteria is difficult and takes a long time thus, culture is not recommended.1

Other diagnostic tests that can be performed on symptomatic dogs include blood chemistry analysis, which may indicate azotemia or markedly decreased albumin. A complete blood count might show mild to marked thrombocytopenia and, if the dog has nephritis, mild to moderate anemia and leukocytosis. For dogs with nephritis, a urinalysis may show isothenuria and proteinuria.1

The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Consensus group recommends routinely testing dogs in Lyme diseaseendemic areas for antibodies by using an in-house screening ELISA, evaluating dogs with a positive ELISA result for signs of joint pain/inflammation, and testing for proteinuria in the urine.3,4

Is There A Way To Prevent Lyme Disease In Dogs

The best cure for Lyme disease in dogs is prevention!

Keep your dog on a tick prevention medication year-round, and talk to your vet about getting your dog vaccinated against Lyme disease. It’s also a good idea to avoid walking through long grass or brushing up against shrubs and to check your dog for ticks daily.

It’s a good idea to check your dog for ticks when you get home if you’ve been walking through areas where ticks may be present. Tick removal, on the other hand, isn’t as simple as you might think. For instructions on how to properly remove ticks from your dog, contact your veterinarian.

Lyme disease in humans is far more severe than it is in dogs! If you go for a walk in an area with long grass or shrubs, make sure to check your skin for ticks regularly. If you find a tick attached to your skin, talk to your doctor about how to get rid of it.

Note:The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s condition, please make an appointment with your vet.

Don’t Miss: What Ticks Give Lyme Disease

Signs Of Lyme Disease In Dogs

Often called, “The Great Imitator,” signs of Lyme disease in dogs vary widely. Many dogs are asymptomatic when infected and never end up showing signs, others become extremely lethargic and lose their appetite. Intermittent lameness is also a possibility. Humans often develop a characteristic bull’s-eye rash after the tick bite, but this does not occur with dogs.

If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms, you should talk with your veterinarian about whether testing for Lyme disease is reasonable. Lyme disease, when untreated, can compromise kidney health and function.