Lyme disease is one of
the most common tick-transmitted diseases in the world. The most common symptom in dogs is a recurrent lameness due to inflammation of the joints. There may
also be a lack of appetite and depression. More serious complications include
damage to the kidney, and rarely heart or nervous system disease.
Kidney disease appears
to be more prevalent in Labradors,
Goldens and Bernese
Mountain Dogs. Experimentally, young
dogs appear to be more susceptible to Lyme disease than adult dogs.
Transmission of the disease has been reported in dogs throughout the United
States and Europe, but is most prevalent in the upper Midwestern states, the
Atlantic seaboard, and the Pacific coastal states.
Symptoms and Types
Many dogs with Lyme
disease have recurrent lameness of the limbs due to inflammation of the joints.
Others, meanwhile, may develop acute lameness,
which lasts for only three to four days but recurs days to weeks later, with
lameness in the same leg, or in other legs. Better known as “shifting-leg
lameness,” this condition is characterized by lameness in one leg, with a
return to normal function, and another leg is then involved; one or more joints
may be swollen and warm; a pain response is elicited by feeling the joint;
responds well to antibiotic treatment.
Some dogs may also
develop kidney problems. Eventually, if left untreated, total kidney failure
sets in and the dog begins to exhibit such signs as vomiting, diarrhea, lack of
appetite, weight loss, increased urination and thirst, fluid buildup in the
abdomen and fluid buildup in the tissues, especially the legs and under the
skin.
Other symptoms
associated with Lyme disease include:
- Stiff walk with an arched back
- Sensitive to touch
- Difficulty breathing
- Fever, lack of appetite, and depression may accompany inflammation of the joints
- Superficial lymph nodes close to the site of the infecting tick bite may be swollen
- Heart abnormalities are reported, but rare; they include complete heart block
- Nervous system complications (rare)
Causes
Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, is
transmitted by slow-feeding, hard-shelled deer ticks. However, infection
typically occurs after the Borrelia-carrying tick has been attached to the dog for at least 18
hours.
Diagnosis
You will need to give
a thorough history of your dog's health, including a background history of
symptoms, and possible incidents that might have precipitated this condition.
The history you provide may give your veterinarian clues as to which organs are
being affected secondarily. A complete blood profile will be conducted,
including a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. Your veterinarian will use these tests to
look for the presence of bacteria, parasites, and fungi in the bloodstream.
Fluid from the affected joints may also be drawn for analysis.
The condition of the
skin near the tick-bite site will be an important indicator of your dog's
health as well, such as whether the wound is still open, or whether there are
any fragments of the tick's body left in the wound.
There are many causes
for
arthritis, and your
veterinarian will focus on differentiating arthritis initiated by Lyme disease
from other inflammatory arthritic disorders. Immune-mediated diseases will also
be considered as a possible cause of the symptoms, and an X-ray of the painful
joints will allow your doctor to examine the bones for damage or disorder.
Treatment
If the diagnosis is
Lyme disease, your dog will be treated as an outpatient, unless its health
condition is severe. There are a number of antibiotics from which to choose. It
is important that you keep your dog warm and dry, and you will need to control
its activity until the clinical signs have improved. The recommended period for
treatment is four weeks. Your veterinarian is unlikely to recommend dietary
changes. Do not use pain medications unless they have been recommended by your
veterinarian.
Unfortunately,
symptoms do not always completely resolve in some animals. In fact, long-term
joint pain may continue even after the bacteria has been fully eradicated from
your dog's system.
Prevention
If possible, avoid
allowing your dog to roam in tick-infested environments where Lyme borreliosis
is common. In addition to grooming your dog daily and removing ticks by hand, your
veterinarian can recommend a variety of sprays, collars, and spot-on topical
products to kill and repel ticks. Such products should only be used under a
veterinarian's supervision and only according to the label's directions. In
addition there are vaccines available for dogs; talk to your veterinarian about
its availability and whether it is right for your dog.
