Lyme disease has been diagnosed in hotdog in all 50 State Department in the U.S. , but luckily it ’s an easy wellness condition to prevent with the proper tutelage .
Lyme disease , also known as Lyme borreliosis , is make by the bacteriaBorrelia burgdorferi . The disease was named for the townsfolk of Lyme in Connecticut , where an eruption was first described . Dogs ( and humans ! ) can contract Lyme disease when they arebitten by a tickthat is carrying theBorreliabacterium . Ticks from the genusIxodes , also screw as deer ticks or black - legged ticks , are the common culprit .
Lyme disease is present in North America , Europe , and Asia . In the U.S. , cases have been reported in dogs in all 50 State Department , but the legal age of infection come from the Northeast , Upper Midwest , and West Coast . The Companion Animal Parasite Council hasinteractive mapsthat take into account you to see how shell are distributed across the U.S. and Canada . plainly select " Tick Borne Disease Agents , " " Lyme Disease , " and the year that you are interested in .
Photo: Purple Collar Pet Photography / Getty
Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs
The bulk of weenie who are debunk toBorrelia burgdorferiwill never show symptom of illness , even if they try positive for Lyme . When symptoms do appear , they loosely show up several week to months after the wienerwurst was bite by the infected ticking .
Common symptoms of Lyme disease include :
Untreated Lyme disease contagion can guide tokidney failure , central anxious system abnormality , andcardiac issues .
Is Lyme Disease in Dogs Contagious?
Thankfully , no ! Your frump ca n’t get Lyme disease directly from another dog and ca n’t give it directly to you . A check has to suck the blood from an septic animal and then seize with teeth another creature to spread theBorreliabacteria . No tick snack think of no Lyme disease .
It is also of import to note that the tick must be attach for at least 24 hours to transmitBorrelia burgdorferi . remove an attached check from your dog promptlyis one of the good ways to keep Lyme disease .
Diagnosing Lyme Disease in Dogs
Most veterinary hospitals have an in - sign of the zodiac test that can promptly test your dog for Lyme . Two of the types of tests also test forheartwormand the tick diseases anaplasmosis and ehrlichia , so your veterinary surgeon may refer to them as " heartworm tests " or a " four - way tryout . "
These tests all check for the front of antibodies toBorrelia burgdorferiin your hot dog ’s origin . Because they examine for antibodies , a overconfident result means that your dog has been expose to the bacteria , but not needfully that he will ever show any symptoms . Dogs that have been treated for Lyme may go on to test positive for several years due to antibody hanging around in the bloodstream .
Should My Dog Be Tested for Lyme?
TheAmerican College of Veterinary Internal Medicine(ACVIM)2018 Consensus Update on Lyme Borreliosis in Dogs and Catsconsidered everything we currently know about Lyme disease in dog-iron to make recommendations for diagnosis and treatment . The panelist recommend that all dogs in areas whereBorrelia burgdorferiand theIxodestick are prevailing should have screening tests for Lyme . Most veterinary clinics promote their client to do the in - house test once a yr .
If your dog essay positive for Lyme on one of the in - firm screening trial run , whether they are diagnostic or not , the Consensus Update recommended monitoring for protein in their urine on a unconstipated basis . This is so that your vet can enamour any signs of kidney malfunction as betimes as possible to direct off the often fateful condition Lyme nephritis .
It can take over a month for antibody stage to get gamey enough to register on tests . If you hump your bounder has been seize with teeth by a tick , check with your veterinary to see when to come in for a Lyme disease test and next step for discussion if needed .
Lyme Disease Treatment for Dogs
Like any bacterial infection , Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics . TheACVIM 2018 Consensus Updateon Lyme recommends regale diagnostic Lyme - confirming dogs with doxycycline for at least one month .
If lameness is one of your dog ’s symptom , you might be surprised that your veterinary surgeon does n’t order a pain in the neck medicine . This is because the lameness is because of the presence of the bacteria in the joints , not an orthopedic accidental injury . If your hound ’s lameness is triggered by Lyme disease , he will ameliorate dramatically within 48 hour of starting treatment .
Always give the all over course of study of antibiotics , even if your frump seems to be feeling upright . BecauseBorrelia burgdorferilikes to attend out in the joints , it can be difficult to get free of , and stopping treatment too presently could leave enough bacteria alive to cause problems for your dog down the route . Dogs can be reinfected with Lyme disease multiple sentence .
Are There Any Chronic Long-Term Effects of Lyme Disease in Dogs?
Untreated Lyme disease infections can cause lasting damage to your dog ’s joints , include continuing inflammation andarthritis . This is manifestly irritating for your heel .
The scariest potential long - term effect of Lyme disease is Lyme nephritis . In dogs with Lyme Bright’s disease , the Lyme - causing bacterium settle in the kidney , causing damage and eventually kidney bankruptcy . This shape is usually fateful , and we do n’t know why some dogs develop it while others do not . Thankfully Lyme nephritis is passably rare , butLabrador retriever , favourable retriever , and mixes with these breed in their heritage likeLabradoodlesandgoldendoodlesare at an increase peril .
sign of the zodiac of Lyme Bright’s disease include :
If your dog has tested positive for Lyme , especially if he is a Lab , golden , or admixture of one of these breeds , you should have his urine match regularly for protein .
More seldom , untreated Lyme disease can also cause neurologic sign of the zodiac such asseizuresand poor balance and cardiac signs such as arrhythmias or tenderness failure .
Preventing Lyme Disease
The ACVIM 2018 Consensus Update on Lyme recommends that the good way to protect your dog from Lyme disease is to keep him or her on a class - rhythm tickpreventivemedication , specially if you know in an area where Lyme is common . Ticks can be dynamic in temperatures as low as 40 academic degree Fahrenheit , so your bounder is n’t necessarily safe in the wintertime .
There are a kind of tick preventive medications on the securities industry , including topical medications , oral medications , and collars . There are alsoseveral vaccineson the market for Lyme disease . Discuss with your veterinarian which option is the best fit for you and your dog .
tick most commonly hang out in the woods and tall skunk . If you take your dog on a walk in one of these domain , arrest him over for ticks right when you get home . This will countenance you to take and dispose of the tick before they have a luck to bite your frankfurter ( or you ! ) . Keep your lawn cut down myopic to deter ticks from come into your yard .
While Lyme disease can be an unpleasant and potentially dangerous diagnosing , you could protect your firedog . Keep him on a regular tick preventive medicament , check him over for tick after manner of walking in the forest or unmowed grass , and test for Lyme each year as part of his annual medical exam .
