Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Symptoms Of A Dog Having Lyme Disease

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Can Lyme Disease In Dogs Spread To Humans

Ask the Vet: Lyme Disease Signs

The good news if your dog has Lyme disease is that it doesnt spread directly from dogs to humans. Like dogs, humans get Lyme disease as a result of a tick bite. Your dog isnt contagious when they have Lyme disease, so you dont have to worry about keeping your distance or catching Lyme. That being said, its important to keep in mind that there could be more Lyme-carrying ticks around if your dog is infected, so you should still practice good hygiene and watch out for ticks.

What Is The Best Way To Prevent Canine Lyme Disease

  • Prevent ticks from transmitting disease with one of our veterinary-approved flea and tick medications.
  • Get your dog vaccinated.
  • Inspect your dog for ticks after walks through wooded trails. Check your dog under their collar, under their tail, between their toes, under their legs and elbows.
  • Remove ticks immediately. The quicker you find them the less likely your dog will be infected. Invest in a pair of fine tweezers and learn the proper method of tick removal.
  • At your next vet visit, ask our veterinarian to conduct a tick check during the exam. Well be able to find any you may have missed.
  • Keep your grass mowed and refrain from walking into grassy patches in endemic tick areas.

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How Likely Is It That Your Dog Will Get Lyme Disease

The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria found in ticks causes flu-like symptoms. Dr Raus research shows that about a third of ticks carry this bacteria species meaning that if a tick bites your dog, its only 33% likely to carry the B burgdorferi bacteria.

If the bite is from an infected tick, then your dog may develop flu-like symptoms. He may also develop a rash at the site of infection.

This is the first stage of Lyme disease.

Dr Rau and other researchers estimate that only 10% to 20% of tick bites will lead to Stage 1 Lyme Disease. But if left untreated, 30% of Stage 1 cases will lead to Stage 2. This is where bacteria can infect the skin, joints, kidneys and sometimes the heart.

So that means your dog has about a 1% to 2% chance of Stage 2 Lyme Disease the kind of Lyme disease that can make him very sick.

Stage 3 Lyme is the chronic stage. This stage can begin months or even years after infection.

The most common symptoms are joint and muscle pain. Only 1% of stage 2 cases of Lyme progress to Stage 3. This mirrors research done in dogs.

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Is There A Vaccine For Lyme Disease In Dogs

Yes. Your veterinarian may recommend the Lyme vaccine if your dog lives in a high-risk area or is in high-risk situations regularly. Like all vaccines, the Lyme vaccine is not 100 percent effective. Even with vaccination, your dog will still need monthly preventatives, and you should still take other preventative measures, like avoiding areas with ticks and manually checking your dog for ticks.

Is There A Way To Prevent Lyme Disease In Dogs

A dog may not show signs of Lyme disease for several months after an ...

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.

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Its All Across The Country

Likewise, the nonchalance of the past no longer applies to Lymes regional characteristics either.

It used to be kind of a Northeast, Midwest phenomenon, explains Dr. Goldstein, but when you look at the latest maps, its all over the country. Theres really almost no state without Lyme. We see quite a bit of Lyme in California, in Florida, in the states that used to be relatively low in the upper West Coast. So, yeah, its virtually everywhere and I believe very strongly that every dog in this country should be tested annually.

If youre wondering why its footprint is increasing, Dr. Goldstein says to look no further than global warming.

That has to do with the warming climate, he tells CBS News. It has to do with more deer that can transmit ticks from place to place, more mice. Mice are the main reservoir for Lyme and the mice population has exploded over the last few years again, possibly because of mild winters. Global warming is definitely manifesting itself in tick-borne disease in general and we see that in humans as well as in dogs. We see diseases that exist today in areas that we just didnt have five and ten years ago.

Prognosis For Dogs With Lyme Disease

If your dog’s Lyme disease is treated swiftly and successfully, the prognosis is good. However, the prognosis is more guarded if Lyme disease has gone undiagnosed and untreated, spreading to the kidneys, heart, or nervous system. Untreated Lyme disease can cause kidney failure, subsequent vomiting, and increased thirst and urination. Often, dogs that develop kidney failure face a terminal prognosis.

Even after all other symptoms are resolved, dogs with Lyme disease may still likely develop chronic arthritis in their lifetime. Dogs that have had Lyme disease could potentially become prone to developing chronic kidney disease.

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How To Prevent And Treat Lyme Disease In Dogs

Once a diagnosis is confirmed, your dog will be put on an aggressive course of antibiotics to kill the bacteria and prevent further complications. In the most severe cases, untreated Lyme disease can cause kidney damage.

Treatment for canine Lyme disease usually lasts from two weeks to two months depending on how far along the infection progressed before treatment began. Sometimes reinfection can occur, if this happens see your vet immediately to restart treatment. You may also be given medication for pain relief if your dog is experiencing joint or muscle soreness or stiffness. Be sure to keep your dog active during the recovery period, and keep an eye on its health and mood.

To prevent Lyme disease, be sure to check and comb your dog’s fur after walking through thick brush or tall grasses. If you spot a tick, you can remove it yourself, but it can be a difficult endeavor. If you find a tick on your dog, we recommend you consult your veterinarian. Lyme disease is not transferrable from dogs to humans, but you don’t want to bring an infected tick into your household because it can pose a risk to everyone else in the home.

The 7 Telltale Symptoms Of Lyme Disease In Dogs

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs- And Why It’s SO Dangerous

Whether you’re a dog owner, vet assistant, or animal shelter volunteer, you will probably come across dogs infected by Lyme disease at some point. Lyme disease affects both humans and animals and can be a serious infection. At some point in their lives, many dogs, cats, cows, and other animals will contract the disease.

As a pet owner, it is important to be able to recognize this illness and treat your animal as soon as possible. Lyme disease is a widespread infection that can often be mistaken for another dog disease, and without proper information, your best friend’s health is in serious jeopardy.

This article covers how dogs get Lyme disease, the symptoms of the illness, and how to treat it. We will also share some tips on how to prevent Lyme disease in dogs.

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Can Lyme Disease Cause Low Platelets In Dogs

Many essential oils, such as eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, pine, wintergreen, and ylang ylang are straight up toxic to pets. These are toxic whether they are applied to the skin, used in diffusers or licked up in the case of a spill. Can lyme disease in dogs cause low platelets?

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Chronic Effects Of Lyme Disease In Dogs

If your dog’s case of Lyme disease isn’t promptly identified and treated, the condition can become life-threatening.

Lyme disease, if left to run its course or treated too late, Lyme disease can cause kidney failure, serious heart problems, neurological issues and long-term joint pain and arthritis in your pup.

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How To Prevent Lyme Disease In Dogs

PetMD is one of the largest and most used veterinary sites in the world. It discusses how to prevent Lyme disease by using toxic sprays and chemicals, as well as vaccines. Most conventional vets also advocate this approach.

But if Lyme progresses into more than flu-like symptoms only when cofactors are present then isnt stressing the immune system backwards thinking? And dangerous for our dogs?

You know that Lyme disease only progresses to a harmful stage if dogs arent healthy, right? So how do vaccines and chemicals make dogs healthier?

Lets look at the list of cofactors again but this time lets consider the role of vaccines

  • Chronic inflammation vaccines are well known to cause chronic inflammation and auto-immune disease
  • Immune suppression we know vaccines to suppress the immune system after administration
  • Coinfections of other viruses well, thats what they designed vaccines o do deliver a small amount of virus into the body
  • Heavy metals and toxins vaccines contain aluminum, thimerosal, formaldehyde and other dangerous toxins

Not to mention the side effects of conventional solutions such as

So how do you prevent Lyme diease in your dog?

If there is one thing you should take away today its this

the more toxic your dog is, the more likely he is to suffer an exaggerated response to Lyme disease.

Here are some tips to help bolster your dogs immune system:

How Do Ticks Infect Dogs With Lyme Disease

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Pets

Ticks need to find a blood host in order to survive, and dogs are often the easiest hosts to attach to because theyre so low to the ground. When your dog is out in the yard playing or youre taking them on a walk through the woods, ticks may climb up on your dog and attach to them. These ticks then burrow into your dogs skin and suck its blood, which is how they spread Lyme disease. However, ticks need to be attached for a minimum of 12 hours before they can transmit disease.

Keep in mind that a tick bite is different from other insect or arachnid bites. Ticks burrow into the skin and stay there for periods of up to two weeks, although most ticks detach in a few days. When a tick attaches to a blood host, it will remain attached until its full. You can manually remove ticks from your dog to help minimize the likelihood of them spreading the disease.

When you attempt to remove a tick from your dog, the mouthparts of the tick may stay burrowed in your dog. You can prevent this by avoiding twisting while removing ticks, but the mouthparts will fall out on their own after a while. If youre not comfortable removing ticks, you can simply take your dog to the vet when you find a tick.

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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.

What Are The Symptoms In A Dog

There are some animals that have Lyme disease and not show any symptoms at all, while other animals will be quite symptomatic. In a dog, Lyme disease can show in any of the following symptoms

  • Lameness that comes and goes

Some of these symptoms might be hard to spot like the swollen lymph nodes. If your dog is normally a good eater, but isnt eating like normal this would be a reason to take your dog in to the vet and can help them to catch this early, if they do in fact have Lyme disease.

Your vet will use the symptoms your dog is currently experiencing like lameness and a recent mild fever in conjunction with possible risk of exposure and other environmental factors.

Your vet may also do a couple of blood tests as the antibodies against the bacteria can show up in the blood tests about 4 6 weeks after the initial infection, so this can help confirm the diagnosis of the disease.

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How Is Lyme Disease In Dogs Treated

Lyme disease in dogs treatment consists of antibiotics for a minimum of four weeks the most commonly used antibiotics for Lyme disease in dogs include doxycycline, amoxicillin, or azithromycin. If a dog is limping from arthritis due to Lyme, then improvement is expected within two to five days of starting antibiotics. Symptoms may return on and off for weeks to months. If that happens, then the dog is treated with antibiotics again.

This Lyme disease in dogs treatment typically resolves symptoms quickly in most pups. However, some dogs remain persistently infected and require multiple rounds of antibiotics. In addition, dogs can become reinfected with Lyme if they are bitten by another infected tick.

Can You Test My Dog For Lyme Disease

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Absolutely. Diagnosis is made by a combination of history, physical signs, and diagnostics. For dogs, the test we incorporate at our animal hospital for diagnosing Lyme disease is called the 4DX test. Its a simple blood test that we run at our AAHA Accredited Cabbagetown animal hospital. This helps you get the answers you need in a timely fashion.

As the name implies, 4DX tests for four things: Heartworm, Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma. Biological vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks, transmit all four of these diseases and may carry pathogens that can multiply within their bodies and be delivered to new hosts, usually by biting.

The test measures antibodies, meaning how your dog responds or reacts to an infection. A positive test result only indicates exposure to the bacteria. The infection could have occurred sometime in the past, and the immune system may have eliminated the bacteria without your dog ever showing symptoms.

If a positive test result is confirmed, our veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics and/or advise further, more specific testing.

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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.

How Can You Tell If Your Dog Has Lyme Disease

Hereâs the thing, even if a dog has been infected, the dog may not show any symptoms at all.

If a dog does show symptoms, usually the symptoms show up two to five months after the tick bite.

Unlike in people where the classic symptom is a red, âbullâs eyeâ rash, dogs donât develop such a rash.

Instead, one classic canine Lyme disease symptom is the sudden onset of lameness, and quite often, thatâs the only symptom. You will notice that one or more of your dogâs joints has become swollen and painful to the touch. The dog will limp, and may walk hunched over. The lameness may last for only a few days, although in some cases it may last longer or recur for months.

Other symptoms that an infected dog may develop include:

  • Lethargy and weakness
  • Loss of appetite

In more serious cases, an infected dog may develop severe kidney disease leading to kidney failure. In rare cases, the heart or the nervous system may also be affected. Understandably, these problems are more difficult to treat and can be fatal.

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Can Lyme Disease Be Cured In Dogs

The good news about Lyme disease in dogs is that it can be cured. Because Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium thats passed from ticks to your dog, it can be treated with antibiotics. In most cases, Lyme disease can be treated with 4 weeks of antibiotics, but some dogs may require additional treatment.

In addition to using antibiotics to get rid of Lyme disease, your vet may also recommend treatment for the complications caused by Lyme disease. In chronic cases of Lyme in dogs where the heart, kidneys, and nervous system have been affected, your vet may recommend long-term treatment to help provide relief from Lyme complications.

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