How is it caused in Dogs?

Lyme disease in dogs is transmitted in the same way in dogs as it is in human beings. The deer tick is the infector for this type of dog illness through its bite to the dog. This tick or insect is found in tall grasses, marshes, thick Bushes, Muddy land etc. where the pet dog goes out for a walk. Once attached to the dog for about 24 or 48 hours, this deer tick can transmit the disease.   In the dogs, similar to humans, it takes the form of a bacterial illness. Another word for this disease is the Borreliosis.

What are the Symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs?

Dogs purebred and mixed breed which are affected by this illness have repeated lameness or difficulty in walking due to inflammation of the joints. In some cases, this lameness problems last for only a few days but comes back after few days or sometimes even weeks. The lameness can be in the same leg or in a different one. This is known as “shifting leg lameness”. The joints will start to become swollen and painful.

Some of the other main symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs include  – touch sensitivity, difficulty in breathing, increased sitting and lying down, fever – body temperature of the dog goes beyond 102.5 F, and lack of appetite, increased intake of water – also called polydipsia.

How is Lyme disease in dogs tested and detected?

If there is suspicion of the Lyme disease in the pet dog, then it is best to take it to nearest veterinarian doctor for testing. There are two types of blood test –

The first is the antibody test which checks for the presence of Antibody which checks for the level of antibodies in the dog due to its exposure to the Borella Burgdorferi bacteria. Recently infected dogs and dogs infected for a long time may not show a sufficient level of antibodies for the test to be declared positive.

The second blood test is known as a polymerase chain reaction which looks for the presence of the same bacterium. A negative test can happen if the disease-causing bacteria are present in the joints but not in the blood cells that were tested.

What is the treatment suggested?

If the there is a positive test for Lyme Disease in Dogs, then such dogs are normally treated as outpatients. The most common antibiotic used to treat all breed dogs for this illness is Doxycycline. Other medicines may also be used as per the advice of the veterinary doctor. The treatment time is normally 4 weeks but can take longer also. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers are given if the joint pains are very high. 

What are the best prevention steps?

Check the dog every time after it is taken for its daily walk since there it is from outside that the tick insect latches on to the dog. Check the feet, lips, eyes, ears, tail.  

Remove the tick from the dog body immediately using tweezers. It should be done properly and no tick should be left in the body.

It is better to buy Veterinary approved flea and tick preparations from the shops.

Keep the grass lawns inside the house short. It is better to avoid taking the dog out in areas having tall grass, bushes, woody and marshy areas.

Nataliya Bells:-  2018 | Senior Content Writer At Our Dog Breeds Company Which is located in California, USA

https://www.ourdogbreeds.com/