Lyme Disease in Dogs

There are some illnesses that have distinctive symptoms and are consequently quite easy for a vet to diagnose. However, there are also other conditions that lead to vague and non-specific ailments, making the underlying cause quite hard to pin down — Lyme disease is one of these.

Once this disease-causing bacteria gets into the bloodstream, it can be a while before clinical signs of Lyme disease in dogs appear. That’s why it makes sense for pet parents to get clued up on what to look out for and how to catch it early.

In this essential primer on Lyme disease in Dogs, pet parents will learn:

• To take their dog to the vet’s if they find a tick stuck to their pet’s body
• How joint swelling, fever and lethargy are common symptoms
• Antibiotics alone can treat mild cases of Lyme disease caught early on
• A vaccine is available for dogs that frequent areas with lots of ticks

What is Lyme Disease in Dogs?

Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) is an infection caused by the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. The most common transmission method is via a tick. There are four possible species capable of harboring and passing on the bacteria — if you’re wondering what ticks carry lyme disease — but the most common offender is the deer tick.

The disease is particularly prevalent in the northeast of the USA, the Upper Midwest and the Pacific Coast.

One person who’s an expert when it comes to Lyme Disease in dogs is your vet, which is why it helps to have a solid pet insurance policy — use Wag!’s comparison tool to find some of the best options on the market

Prevention methods aren’t failsafe, especially when dealing with creatures the size of deer ticks. As a result, hundreds of thousands of dogs a year are diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Clinical symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs may not be readily apparent and can take two months to a year to appear. In humans, the bacteria causes a ‘bulls-eye’ type rash on the skin where the deer tick had attached itself, but the same rash does not appear in dogs.

This is what parents should be watching out for:

• Depression
• Fever
• Generalized pain
• Lack of appetite
• Limping, often with different legs affected on different days
• Swollen joints
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Walking tenderly, as if on eggshells

When dogs are outside, they'll often come into contact with deer ticks. These tiny creatures — only around 3 millimeters in size — wait on the tips of grass or on vegetation and get onto a dog’s body when they brush past. This can just as easily be in a backyard as it can dense woodland.

Your dog doesn’t become infected with Lyme disease as soon as a deer tick gets onto their body. It can take between ten minutes and two hours for the tick to bite a dog and begin drinking blood. Then, it takes another 12 to 48 hours for it to transmit Lyme disease, or another infection such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, to their host if they’re carrying the relevant bacteria.

This means that if you see a tick land on your dog’s body and remove it right away, chances are your dog will not get infected. However, if it’s been more than a day or two since you think the tick attached itself to your dog, you should take them to the vet to get tested for Lyme disease right away. 

Can Humans Get Lyme Disease?

Yes, humans can get Lyme disease, but they can’t catch it from a dog — so, in that sense, is Lyme disease contagious? No, it’s not. In fact, the transmission method is exactly the same when it comes to humans.

If your dog has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, it would be a sensible precaution for a parent to notify their physician, who will decide if testing is necessary. After all, parents and dogs tend to visit the same locations together.

How to Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs

Checking for Ticks

There are several ways pet parents can attempt to prevent Lyme disease in dogs. Firstly, they should check over their pet’s body for ticks regularly, especially after outdoor walks. If a tick is spotted, it should be removed immediately.

The good news is that if a tick is still moving, it likely hasn’t bitten your pet and potentially transmitted the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. These mobile ticks should be much easier to remove and kill.

There’s a bigger challenge when a deer tick has latched onto your pet. Parents should remove the parasite using tweezers or a dedicated tool. Try to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull it straight out, avoiding twisting or crushing. Clean the skin using some salt water. Dogs should be given treats at the end of the experience to reward cooperation.

Vaccinations

Another form of defense is the Lyme disease vaccine for dogs. This is given in two doses spaced two to three weeks apart, and then annually after this point.

These usually aren’t part of a dog’s compulsory set of injections but might be an option available in parts of the world in which Lyme disease is more prevalent. Pet parents can also ask their vet about this method if they’re planning on visiting one of these areas.

It should be mentioned that the vaccination isn’t effective against all strains of Lyme disease and a dog that has received the treatment can still catch a variation of the disease. For this reason, vets will often only advise vaccinating dogs that are at especially high risk of coming into contact with the bacteria. Even owners of vaccinated dogs need to still diligently check for and remove any ticks they see.

Repellants

There are a variety of sprays, collars and topical products that can be used to protect your pet from ticks and fleas. You can also explore natural tick repellants as well — clove and cinnamon, for example, are said to work to some degree.

If you have a large backyard, regularly mowing the grass during the spring and summer can discourage deer ticks from taking up residence in this space.

You may have noticed that the symptoms of Lyme disease are similar to those of other medical conditions, and since they can occur in waves — appearing and disappearing every few weeks or months — the condition is often misdiagnosed.

A diagnosis of Lyme disease often comes after exhausting other possible explanations for the fevers, pain and lameness experienced by a dog. However, your vet might check for ticks on your dog's body, ask if you‘ve seen them on your dog, or if your dog has visited any wooded areas or traveled to known tick-infested areas.

If Lyme disease is suspected, your vet may order an antibody test that can detect the presence of antibodies to the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. A positive test is not definitive, as a recently bitten pet will not yet have formed antibodies. At the same time, animals with suppressed immune systems may never form antibodies and only ten percent of dogs with antibodies will go on to develop the disease.

The next step your vet will likely take is a PCR analysis that tests for the bacterial DNA in the synovial fluid (fluid from the joints). Once the PCR analysis confirms the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi in your dog, treatment can begin.

Extremely rarely is Lyme disease fatal to a dog — most cases can be successfully treated with a round of antibiotics. 

This is generally prescribed for four weeks and many symptoms of pain and joint issues will often subside within the first three to five days of treatment. If they don't, a second antibiotic may be administered. For some dogs, a second round of treatment may also be needed to completely eradicate the bacteria. 

In some cases, your veterinarian may also prescribe pain medication to help with the generalized pain in your dog's joints. 

Successful treatment also depends on how early Lyme disease is diagnosed. The longer the bacteria is left untreated, the greater effect it can have on different parts of the body, including the kidneys, heart and nervous system — additional therapies may be prescribed to treat secondary conditions.

Not only can Lyme disease be cured in dogs, but they can lead long and healthy lives after recovery.

The prognosis for a full recovery from Lyme disease is good when treatment begins early on during the infection period. However, with some dogs, joint pain may persist long after the infection is cured and may need lifelong treatment. On other occasions, Lyme disease can reoccur. 

Be sure to keep a record of symptoms and how long they persist, as in some cases, your vet might decide another round of treatment is necessary.

One of the many perks of a wellness plan is that it ensures your dog gets regular examinations and testing, which might catch medical conditions, such as Lyme disease, a little earlier on.