Lyme Disease in Dogs: What You Need to Know About It

By May 28, 2022 Dog Diet, Dog Diseases, Dog Health, Dog Nutrition, Supplements for Dogs 0 Comments

Lyme Disease in Dogs: What You Need to Know About It

Lyme disease in dogs is one of the most frequent tick-borne infections globally, yet it only affects 5 – 10 percent of infected canines. As a result, some dogs may have it yet never display symptoms.

Lyme disease has been documented in dogs across the United States and Europe. However, it is most common in the upper Midwest, Atlantic and Pacific coast states.

However, the illness is spreading more widely and growing more rapidly throughout the country. Here’s what you need to know about the causes and prevention of Lyme in dogs, the symptoms to watch for and treatment choices.

Table of Contents

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What Is Lyme Disease?

Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete, causes the popular Lyme disease. That bacterium is a spirochete, which means that it is a gram-negative microorganism with a spiral shape.

Lyme disease is spread to dogs via tick bites. Once in the bloodstream, the Lyme disease organism travels to numerous body regions, often settling in the joints or kidneys.

The deer tick is the most frequent form of vector that transmits Lyme disease (also known as the black-legged tick). They eat slowly and have a hard shell. Infection usually happens after the Borrelia-carrying tick has adhered to the dog for 24 – 48 hours.

Where Do Ticks Live?

Ticks that transmit Lyme disease are more likely to be found in tall grasses, dense brush, marshes and woodlands, where they may attach to your dog as he walks past. Once a tick has been connected to a dog for 24 to 48 hours, it may spread the illness.

The illness, which was named after a handful of cases in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975, is challenging to diagnose and may cause significant, long-term health issues in both dogs and humans.

Dog tick Lyme disease occurs in every state, although the chances of infection differ. Over 95 percent of cases are from the Northeast, the Upper Midwest, and the Pacific coast. However, percentage rates in these locations are continually shifting due to recent changes in deforestation, migratory deer, and bird populations.

Each year, a limited number of instances emerge throughout the West Coast, particularly in Northern California. Lyme-positive dogs are commonly seen in southern Ontario and southern Manitoba in Canada. Few occurrences are documented in Southern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces each year.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Within three to thirty days, some individuals with Lyme disease develop a distinctive bulls-eye rash at the location of the bite. If this happens, the illness may be readily identified early.

However, indications of Lyme disease in animals are more challenging to identify than in humans. Dogs do not get the typical rash. Many dogs with Lyme disease are sent to the vet because they seem to be in widespread discomfort and have stopped eating.

The affected canines have been characterized as walking on eggshells. These animals often develop high fevers. Dogs may also begin to limp. This severe lameness often arises unexpectedly and may transfer from one leg to another. If left untreated, it may gradually go away only to reappear weeks or months later.

Some pets have been infected with the Lyme disease bacterium for more than a year before showing symptoms. The illness may have progressed throughout the body at this point.

Non-specific Lyme disease symptoms that damage the kidneys include vomiting, tiredness, anorexia (lack of appetite), and weight loss. The kidney type is less frequent, but it is typically deadly.

Diagnosing Lyme Disease in Dogs

You will need to offer a detailed history of your dog’s health for your veterinarian to determine which organs are impacted.

A positive blood test for Lyme disease and the clinical indicators associated with Lyme disease are typically used to confirm a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease.

It’s crucial to remember that testing might take 4 – 6 weeks after exposure to show up as positive, which is why vets will employ a variety of diagnostics to interpret your dog:

  • Blood chemistry analysis;
  • Total blood cell count;
  • Urinalysis;
  • Examination of the feces;
  • X-rays and diagnostic testing for Lyme disease (e.g., serology);
  • Fluid from the afflicted joints may also be collected for testing.

Arthritis Caused by Lyme Disease

There are several causes of arthritis. Your veterinarian will focus on distinguishing Lyme disease-induced arthritis from other inflammatory arthritic illnesses, like trauma and degenerative joint disease.

Immune-mediated disorders will also be investigated as a potential source of the symptoms. X-rays of the aching joints will enable your doctor to look for any abnormalities in the bones.

Treating Dog Lyme Disease

If your dog has Lyme disease, he or she will be treated as an outpatient unless their condition is critical (e.g., severe kidney disease). Although other medicines are equally helpful, doxycycline is the most often recommended antibiotic for Lyme disease.

Lyme disease in dogs treatment usually lasts at least four weeks. However, longer courses may be required in rare situations. If your dog is in a lot of pain, your veterinarian may prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication.

Unfortunately, antibiotic therapy does not usually entirely remove Borrelia burgdorferi infection. Symptoms may disappear only to reappear later and the development of renal disease in the future is always a risk.

Administering antibiotics to your dog correctly decreases the possibility of long-term complications.

After 3 – 5 days of antibiotic therapy, the abrupt (acute) inflammation of the joints caused by Borrelia should improve. If your dog does not get better within 3 – 5 days, your veterinarian will want to reassess him.

What Happens if Lyme Disease Goes Untreated?

Treating Lyme disease as soon as possible is critical to your dog’s health; otherwise, its consequences may cause even more severe difficulties. We know that Lyme disease may cause significant harm to the heart, brain system and kidneys.

Dogs that do not get Lyme disease treatment may develop any of the following conditions:

  • Renal inflammation and, in extreme instances, kidney failure. Increased thirst and urination, vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the limbs, and a lack of appetite are all symptoms of renal failure. This may be life-threatening.
  • Arthritis-related chronic pain.
  • Heart issues.
  • Seizures or facial paralysis as a consequence of nervous system injury.

Many of these conditions, if left untreated, may be deadly, and Lyme disease in dogs’ prognosis is terrible. Thus the solution is obvious. If your dog has Lyme disease, it should be treated quickly.

Can I Catch Lyme Disease from My Dog?

Dogs do not pose a direct risk of infection to humans. Lyme disease cannot be passed from pet to pet or pet to person except via tick bites. On the other hand, a carrier tick may enter your home on your dog’s hair and land on you.

If your dog has Lyme disease, you and any other pets have likely been in the same outside area. You may be in danger, so talk to your doctor and veterinarian about whether you should test additional dogs or family members.

Other Canine Diseases Carried by Ticks

Ticks may also transmit several less frequent but deadly bacterial infections to dogs, such as anaplasmosis and babesiosis.

Anaplasmosis may cause symptoms similar to Lyme disease. Babesiosis may cause various symptoms, including abrupt and severe shock, high fever, black urine and a slowly progressive illness with more mild clinical indications. Both diseases are diagnosed using blood tests identical to those used to screen for Lyme disease.

Dogs and humans may get ill from “co-infection” of various tick-borne illnesses. They occur when more than one kind of disease-causing bacterium is delivered by a tick bite. This circumstance might make diagnosis and therapy even more complex.

Preventing Lyme Disease in Dogs

Keep your dog away from tick-infested areas where Lyme disease is widespread if feasible.

Check your dog’s coat and skin regularly to see if any ticks are lurking on your pet and remove any ticks by hand.

Using flea and tick prevention is the most effective strategy to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections in dogs.

Your veterinarian may prescribe several prescription flea and tick treatments, like collars, topical remedies, and tick-killing pills and chews. These products should be used under the supervision of a veterinarian and following the guidelines on the label.

Is There a Lyme Disease Vaccine for Dogs?

In the United States, four Lyme disease vaccinations are available for dogs. Lyme immunization is considered a “lifestyle vaccine,” which means that not all dogs need it. The choice to vaccinate is personal and not applicable to all dogs.

The Lyme vaccination works by sterilizing the bacteria in the tick’s stomach, preventing bacterium transfer to the dog if they are ever exposed. Lyme vaccinations seem to avoid sickness in 60 – 86 percent of vaccinated dogs, but not consistently in all dogs and not for a long period.

Your dog will have two initial doses of the vaccination, two-four weeks apart and then yearly or biannual boosters to maintain immunity.

While most dogs tolerate the Lyme disease vaccination, each dog is unique and may need additional protection. Fortunately, immunization should not be required if adequate tick prevention is used.

However, your veterinarian will advise you on the best type of Lyme disease prevention for your dog depending on their age, breed, size, possible pre-existing illnesses and general health.

The Takeaway

Lyme disease is a major medical problem for both canine and human health. The tick vector’s geographic spread is expanding, increasing the likelihood that puppies and people may come into contact with B. burgdorferi-infected ticks.

Practical approaches for avoiding canine Lyme disease include using tick control products and the use of Lyme vaccinations depending on the risk. If you follow this advice, you can stay calm for your dog’s health and life. You can forget the connection between dogs and Lyme disease, and you can continue living your life without any troubles.

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  • Providing antibodies to help protect your furry friends against disease and keep them in optimal shape.
  • Supplying a number of growth factors and cytokines — small messenger peptides which control the functioning of the dog immune system.
  • Delivering peptides helpful for the treatment of gastrointestinal conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and drug-induced gut injuries.
  • Providing key components of your dogs’ adaptive and innate immune systems to help keep them strong.
  • Helping to boost your dog’s natural defenses to keep them healthy and happy.

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Image source: Wikimedia / David Adam Kess.

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