Like it is in humans, Lyme disease is a fairly common illness in dogs. And cases continue to rise in both species every year. Even though there are numerous dog-specific preventative measures available, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CACP) reported that confirmed cases in the S. rose over 43% between 2017 and 2021.
Here is everything you should know about recognizing the signs, guarding against, identifying, and treating this pricey tick-borne disease. It’s crucial to monitor your dog for several months after a tick bite because symptoms can take months to appear. Table Of Contents.
Lyme disease is an infectious illness caused by ticks. Through a bite that enters our bloodstream, ticks frequently carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Through the consumption of infected hosts, most frequently mice, ticks acquire this bacteria.
All animals, including people, dogs, and cats, are susceptible to Lyme disease. The only way to contract the disease is through a tick bite; you cannot contract it by touching your pet. Avoiding ticks is challenging because they are frequently found in tall grassy, wooded, or sandy areas.
There was a human Lyme disease vaccine available up until 2002, when it was discontinued due to insufficient demand.
Although there are still dog and cat vaccines available, not all breeds and animals should receive them. Find out from your veterinarian if your pet is a good candidate for this vaccination.
You still need to take additional safety measures to prevent contracting Lyme disease. Following any outdoor activity, such as hiking, you should check your dog for ticks.
To help prevent ticks, you ought to try applying some tick repellent to your dog. Consult your veterinarian about the top tick repellent in your area. We offer both commercially available tick prevention items and recommendations for natural tick prevention.
How can I prevent my dog from getting Lyme disease?
Keeping your dog from being exposed to ticks is the key to prevention. Ticks are found in grassy, wooded, and sandy areas. They ascend short trees, especially cedar trees, leaves, blades of grass, or other objects to reach an animal. Here, they wait until an approaching animal is detected by their sensors before they crawl or drop. Keeping animals from thick underbrush reduces their exposure to ticks. When walking close to wooded or tall grass areas, dogs should stay on trails. Pets who reside in endemic regions or who travel to regions where Lyme disease is common should get vaccinated against it.
Several items are also offered that can assist in eliminating these ticks and preventing the spread of disease. Some products can be purchased without a prescription, while others can only be obtained from your veterinarian. These external parasites can be easily controlled with effective monthly preventatives, which are typically applied to the skin at the back of the neck. Advantix® and Frontline Plus® (both available only in the USA) fall under this category. Recently, the topical Bravecto® was created, and when applied topically, it lasts for three months. There are also chewable medications like Nexgard® and Simparica®, which are administered monthly, as well as chewable Bravecto®, which is administered every three months. Your vet will provide specific advice on how to keep your pet parasite-free.
What are the clinical signs of Lyme disease?
Within three to thirty days, some people with Lyme disease experience the recognizable bulls-eye rash at the site of the bite. If this happens, it is simple to identify the disease at an early stage.
Lyme disease symptoms are harder to spot in animals than they are in people, though. The characteristic rash does not develop in dogs or cats. In fact, Lyme disease is practically unheard of in cats.
Because they appear to be in generalized pain and have stopped eating, many dogs with Lyme disease are taken to a doctor. Dogs with the condition have been described as walking on eggshells. Often these pets have high fevers. Dogs may also begin limping. This excruciating lameness frequently appears out of nowhere and may change from one leg to the other. It might eventually go away if left untreated, only to come back a few weeks or months later.
Before showing symptoms, some pets with the Lyme disease organism have been infected for more than a year. The illness may already be pervasive throughout the body at this point. Vomiting, lethargy, anorexia (lack of appetite), and weight loss are non-specific symptoms that Lyme disease may be affecting the kidneys. The disease’s kidney form is less common but frequently fatal.
Lameness, swollen joints, and fever in dogs are symptoms of Lyme disease. However, other diseases may also cause these symptoms. A few blood tests can be utilized for confirmation. First, your veterinarian can administer an antibody test in a clinic setting using a specialized test kit. This test looks for antibodies produced after exposure to the organism. If the dog is infected but has not yet produced any antibodies or if it never produces enough antibodies to trigger a positive reaction, a test may result in a false negative. Testing is advised to be done no earlier than 4 weeks following a tick bite. Some dogs with long-lasting infections might no longer have enough antibodies to be identified by the test. A positive test is therefore significant, but a negative test is not. To confirm the results, a subsequent test known as a QC6 test can be carried out to measure the numerical antibody level.
With varying degrees of sensitivity, other tests such as the PCR (polymerase chain reaction), ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), joint fluid analysis, and culture can also be performed, though they are less frequently. To evaluate kidney function and check for protein loss in the urine, general blood and urine tests are frequently performed. For more details, refer to the handout “Testing for Lyme Disease in Dogs.”
Since the Lyme spirochete is a bacterium, antibiotics can be used to treat it. Doxycycline is the preferred antibiotic, followed by amoxicillin and azithromycin. Treatment lasts for 4 weeks. Sometimes the initial infection returns, or the animal can get sick again by being bitten by another infected tick.
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Certain species of ticks can spread the bacterial illness Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, to people, dogs, and other animals. The spiral-shaped bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is carried by ticks and enters a dog’s or person’s bloodstream through a tick bite, is the cause of it. Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria can spread to various body regions and cause issues with particular organs or regions, like joints, as well as general illness.
Given the severity of Lyme disease, it’s crucial to understand how to prevent and treat ticks in dogs.
The ticks that transmit Lyme disease are more likely to be found in tall grasses, dense brush, marshes, and woods, where they wait for your dog to pass by and bite them. When a tick has been attached to a dog for 24 to 48 hours, it can transmit the disease.
The illness, which was first identified in 1975 after a number of cases were reported in Lyme, Connecticut, can be challenging to identify and result in serious, long-lasting health issues in both people and dogs.
Lyme disease happens in every state, but infection risks vary. Although percentage rates in these regions are constantly changing due to recent changes in deforestation, migrating deer, and bird populations, more than 95% of cases originate in the Northeast, the Upper Midwest, and the Pacific coast.
Each year, a few cases, mostly in Northern California, appear along the West Coast. Lyme-positive dogs are primarily found in southern Ontario and southern Manitoba in Canada. In Southern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, fewer cases are reported each year.
FAQ
Does Lyme disease in dogs come on suddenly?
This excruciating lameness frequently appears out of nowhere and may change from one leg to the other. It might eventually go away if left untreated, only to come back a few weeks or months later. Before showing symptoms, some pets with the Lyme disease organism have been infected for more than a year.
How soon after tick bite do symptoms appear in dogs?
Symptoms will start to show up between one and three weeks after your dog has been bitten by an infected tick. Keep an eye out for symptoms like fever, bruising, or nosebleeds. Low blood platelets, or cells that aid in blood clotting, may be discovered through testing.
How quickly does Lyme disease onset?
typically appears 3 to 30 days after being bitten.
How long does it take for a dog to test positive for Lyme?
After being bitten by an infected tick for weeks or months, dogs may not exhibit any symptoms of illness; in fact, many infected dogs never do. Fortunately, there are tests that can determine whether a dog has an infection, though some tests can take up to nine weeks to produce a positive result.