Topic of the Month
4/2012: Lyme Disease in Dogs
As spring has finally arrived, many of our canine friends are spending more time outside enjoying the weather. This added freedom brings along with it the concern of diseases that our dogs can pick up from the environment. Lyme disease is an issue facing all dogs living in Wisconsin. Dogs with an active lifestyle that are out in wooded areas or long grass stand a better chance of picking up the infection. However, I have diagnosed dogs that never venture outside of the Green Bay city limits, spending all their time in a manicured yard.
Deer ticks transmit Lyme disease. These ticks are very tiny and are found on our pets more during the warmer months of the year. The ticks can carry Borrelia Burgdorferi, a spirochete bacteria, that causes Lyme disease. Once attached to their host, the tick will transmit the bacteria while taking a blood meal. The tick must be partially engorged before it will transmit the bacteria, typically after 24-48 hours of attachment. The most important take home message of that point is to check your dogs DAILY for ticks if they are in a tick infested environment in an attempt to remove any attached ticks before they have been on your pet for 24 hours. If you get any deer ticks off within this time frame, they can’t infect your dog with Lyme disease.
Lyme disease can take 3-4 weeks to months to show signs in dogs after they have been infected. Many dogs will be infected and never show any signs at all. Canines do not show the typical target skin lesions that people do. Dogs will normally show signs of arthritis: limping, a swollen joint, or even shifting leg lameness. Dogs can have fevers associated with this. Rarely, they can develop heart or neurological problems. The most severe consequence associated with Lyme disease in dogs is kidney damage caused by long-term stimulation of the immune system. This does not happen to most dogs infected with Lyme disease. The good news is that in most dogs, Lyme disease will cause little or no problems at all. The disease can be addressed effectively with a course of Doxycycline, an inexpensive antibiotic. Dogs with clinical infection will begin to show signs of improvement typically within 48 hours of starting medications.
Veterinarians are able to rapidly diagnose Lyme disease with an in-house test that detects antibodies against the Borrelia organism. This test can distinguish between the lyme vaccine and an actual infection. If a diagnosis of Lyme disease is made, your veterinarian may recommend some additional tests.
The most important way to address Lyme disease is to prevent it. Tick control is of utmost importance. There are many great products on the market to repel and kill ticks. Please be aware that some topical products are toxic to cats so please be careful when choosing a tick preventative if you have cats in your home. Talk to your veterinarian about the best option for your pet. There is also a vaccine available to those dogs with great risk of exposure to Lyme disease. If you are unsure if your pet needs this vaccine, please discuss this with your dog’s vet.
While Lyme disease can potentially cause harm to your pet, there are many ways to try and prevent the problem from affecting your dog. Take heart in knowing that this disease affects our canine friends much differently than it affects humans. Most dogs that experience this disease have a wonderful outcome after treatment.
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