Can A Dog Get Lyme Disease?

Preventing Lyme Disease in Dogs: A Complete Overview

Is there anything more joyous than spending time in the great outdoors with your dog? Watching your happy dog playing in the grass or romping through the woods is one of the best parts of having a canine companion. However, as every dog owner knows, there is a dark side to outdoor fun- ticks. Ticks, particularly black-legged or deer ticks, are the main carriers of Lyme disease, and when they attach to a dog’s skin, they can transmit this disease. Lyme disease affects people and dogs, but in dogs, it can be harder to spot the symptoms. It is extremely important to know how to prevent Lyme disease, how to check your dog for ticks, and how to notice signs of Lyme disease in dogs, to keep your pet healthy and safe.

What is Lyme Disease?

Caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete type of bacterium, Lyme disease enters the bloodstream through the bite of an infected tick. Moving through the bloodstream, it often settles in the joints or kidneys. People can be affected by Lyme disease, but they don’t get it from their dogs, they get it from ticks. Even though Lyme disease was first noted in Lyme, Connecticut, it has now been reported in every state in the United States, as well as in Canada, and even Europe and Asia. Dogs are at higher risk of Lyme disease than humans, because they tend to have more exposure, particularly in thick grass and wooded areas.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Sometimes, dogs with Lyme disease don’t have any symptoms. However, other dogs suffer from fever, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, painful or swollen joints, and lameness that comes and goes. Often, dog owners notice that their dogs have stopped eating and seem to be suffering from generalized pain. If your dog appears to be walking on eggshells or limping, it could be Lyme disease. If your dog is experiencing vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite, and weight loss, it could mean that Lyme disease is impacting the kidneys, and Lyme disease in the kidneys can be fatal. It takes two to five months for dogs with Lyme disease to show symptoms, and by that time the disease has often progressed to be widespread throughout the body. Left untreated, this disease can damage the kidneys, nervous system, and heart.

Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

If your dog has lameness, fever, and possible tick exposure, your veterinarian may suspect Lyme disease. While standard blood tests often miss Lyme disease infection, they may be important for ruling out other causes of disease. There are a few blood tests, however, that can be used to confirmation, and sometimes, vets will use urine tests or even tests of joint fluid to determine a case of Lyme disease. About four to six weeks after the initial infection, your vet will be able to detect antibodies against the bacteria causing the disease, so testing is most effective after that time. However, It is important to note that a positive test result does not necessarily indicate a current infection, but could mean a past infection. Your vet will be able to correctly interpret the results, based on the dog’s clinical signs as well as lab work.

Preventing Lyme Disease

The best method of treating Lyme disease is prevention! Treat your dog regularly with a tick-control product, and ask your veterinarian about vaccines. After your dogs have been outside, especially if they have been in tall grass or brush, check them for ticks. This is particularly important in spring, summer, and fall. Brush your dogs regularly, and watch carefully for ticks, so that you can remove them and dispose of them. The good news about ticks is that it takes a day or two for them to transmit Lyme disease, so if you remove them quickly, you can often avoid this problem. Remove ticks with fine-pointed tweezers, grasping the head where it enters the skin and pulling straight off, being careful not to grasp or squeeze the body. Disposing of ticks protects your dogs, but it also protects other pets and humans in your household from being bitten. It is a good idea to keep the tick for reference, though, in case of concerns about Lyme disease. You can do this by submerging it in alcohol in a sealed plastic baggie, or taping it to an index card. Write down the date and location where the tick was acquired, so that you can give this valuable information to your vet.

Treatment Options for Lyme Disease

For Lyme disease in dogs, treatment usually involves a four-week course of antibiotics. This often results in rapid improvement, but infection may persist after one round of antibiotics, requiring a second round of treatment. Unfortunately, some dogs will suffer chronic, lifelong joint pain as a result of the damage done by Lyme disease. It is crucial that a dog with Lyme disease has additional therapy, especially if the kidneys, heart, or nerves are affected. Long-term management and follow-up care is an important part of treating Lyme disease.

Contact Reed Animal Hospital in Campbell & Saratoga

If you are concerned about exposure to Lyme disease, bring your dog to Reed Animal Hospital, where we treat your pets as if they were our own. Our goal is to help you and your pet enjoy a healthy, fulfilling life together, and in pursuit of that goal, our team offers a wide range of services. We’ve got veterinarians, technicians, assistants, and receptionists, all prepared to help you and your pet, and we even offer referrals to specialty surgeons, many of whom will travel to our office to consult with your pet. For more information or to make an appointment, call us in Campbell at 408.369.1788, or in Saratoga at 408.647.2906.