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Lyme Disease In Dogs - Information on the Signs, Symptoms and Treatment For Lyme Disease In Dogs

Lyme disease can happen in dogs and other animals as well as humans.

It is a bacterial infection that is spread by certain types of ticks. The bacteria that spreads this infection is Borrelia burgdorferi and the tick that spreads it is spirochetes.

Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease In Dogs

Symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs include recurrent inflammation of the joints which can also result in lameness. Sometimes lameness might also occur in the dog due to acute but temporary infections.

Kidney problems can also happen if the Lyme disease is left untreated. The dog will also find it difficult to breathe and become sensitive to touch. The dog can also show signs like depression and loss of appetite, both of which can indicate the dog has Lyme disease. Sometimes the lymph nodes in the dog can also appear swollen.

In rare cases a dog might show signs of heart abnormalities or even a nervous system complication including seizures. Symptoms can vary with different dogs and it is best to head to your vet if you think your dog has Lyme disease. The signs and symptoms usually occur only if the condition is left untreated.

Treatment For Lyme Disease In Dogs

Ticks are what cause Lyme disease in dogs. It is important to keep the dog clean and regularly checked for bites. Infected tick bites can be quite dangerous. Sometimes, by watching the bite mark closely and checking for signs of infection like open wounds, can make a big difference for the diagnosis. Lyme disease especially in dogs can be a locality or area characteristic. So if you are not sure about the symptoms of signs, check with your vet and ask him if there have been increased number of reports for Lyme disease. Lyme disease can persist in dogs without being detected easily so treatment for Lyme disease in dogs can be difficult. Treatment for Lyme disease in dogs is done with the help of antibiotics.

Difficult antibiotics are prescribed depending on the severity of the infection. If the infection has spread to the dog’s kidneys and the dog has contracted glomerular diseases then these dogs are put on medication for kidney disease. While diagnosing this particular infection, dogs may be made to take tests to detect creatine levels to determine the degree of kidney damage. There are even vaccinations available that protect the dogs from contracting Lyme disease. But this method of treating the Lyme disease has not been met with much success.

Submitted on February 14, 2012