How does lyme disease affect dogs

In Canada, Lyme-positive dogs are found mostly in southern Ontario and southern Manitoba. A smaller number of cases are reported each year in Southern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. They get onto their host by waiting at the tips of vegetation. When a dog or person brushes against a bush, for example, the tick quickly grabs on and then crawls to find a place to bite. Lyme disease is, unfortunately, a fairly common canine disease. Typical symptoms in dogs include:.

Symptoms can progress to kidney failure , which can be fatal. Serious cardiac and neurological effects can also occur. Diagnosis is made by a combination of history, physical signs, and diagnostics. Veterinarians perform both. Presence of the antibodies suggests an active Lyme infection.

The C6 antibodies can be detected three to five weeks after an infected tick bites a dog and may be found in the bloodstream even before the dog shows signs of illness.

Provided the disease is detected and treated effectively early enough, with the course of antibiotics signs of Lyme disease typically resolve within the first 3 days. However, the organism that causes Lyme disease is very good at hiding and while treatment is typically successful in eliminating clinical signs, dogs that test positive for Lyme disease will remain positive for years, if not forever. If your dog tests positive but is not sick, your veterinarian will tell you whether they recommend treating at that time.

The impact of this form of the disease on the kidneys can easily go unnoticed until it is too late. If your vet determines that the kidneys have been affected, this can be treated and monitored before severe renal problems arise. We also recommend checking your own body for ticks. Lyme disease is much more severe in humans than in dogs. If you discover a tick has latched onto your skin, contact your doctor for advice on removing the tick. Also, keep up on tick prevention and parasite prevention year-round, and speak with your vet about vaccinating your dog against Lyme.

The product that we most highly recommend currently is Frontline Plus Topspot. This product is also effective in preventing or treating flea problems. In recent studies, Frontline was Although we especially recommend topical prevention if your pet will be visiting hot-spot Lyme areas, topical prevention is important even if your pet lives in an urban area such as Minneapolis or St. Paul because one of the highly infective tick stages the nymph stage typically feeds on rodents and small mammals and these can live anywhere.

Lastly, use of a tick control product does more than help prevent Lyme. It helps prevent other tick-borne diseases such as Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. We have a highly effective Lyme vaccine that can be given to pets 9 weeks and older. Used together, we think this is the best way to protect your pet from Lyme infections and disease. If my dog is Lyme positive, should it still be vaccinated for Lyme disease in the future? A recent talk that many of us attended recommended vaccination of healthy Lyme positive dogs in the future so that we can lower the risk of additional future infections.

Studies of the bacteria that transmit Lyme disease seem to indicate that one infection does not automatically provide your pet with immunity against the next infection.

This has been a controversial topic in the veterinary community. You are not directly at risk of getting Lyme disease from your pet. What a positive Lyme test in your pet indicates, however, is that you are at risk of encountering the same ticks that transmitted the infection to your dog.

We provide the quality care our clients expect and their pets deserve, by relying on the expertise and compassion of each team member. Dogs are not the direct source of infection in people.

Pets may bring unattached infected ticks into the household and if they then attach to another animal or person, they may transmit Lyme disease. Also see professional content regarding Lyme disease of dogs Lyme Borreliosis in Animals Lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease transmitted by ticks infected with spirochetal bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia.

Affected dogs typically present with intermittent From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world. The Veterinary Manual was first published in as a service to the community. The legacy of this great resource continues in the online and mobile app versions today. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Common Veterinary Topics. Videos Figures Images Quizzes. Test your knowledge. Calcium, in its ionic form, plays a key role in the function of many body systems.

Precise control of calcium ion concentrations in extracellular fluids is regulated by several hormones. Which of the following is NOT involved in calcium homeostasis? More Content. Tiny deer ticks transmit Lyme disease. Prevention of Lyme Disease Dogs should be treated regularly with a readily available, effective, tick-control product.