How To Treat Lyme Disease in Dogs

Dogs become infected with Lyme disease by a deer tick that passes Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria into the bloodstream. In order for a deer tick to infect a dog with this bacterium, the tick must remain attached to the dog for 48 hours.

Dogs who live in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, including New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and all the coastal states from Maine to North Carolina as well as dogs in the midwestern states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa or along the west coast, especially California and Oregon, are more susceptible to Lyme disease. Dogs that have traveled to these areas are also prone to becoming infected with this disease.

Symptoms associated with Lyme disease include: 

1. High fever
2. Swollen lymph nodes
3. Lameness
4. Loss of appetite
5. Inflamed joints
6. Lethargy

If a dog owner notices that his dog has these symptoms, he should take his dog to the veterinarian. The veterinarian will make a diagnosis of the problem by:

1. Taking a history of the ill dog's recent traveling experience to determine if it has been in an endemic area, where it could have been exposed to a deer tick.
2. The veterinarian will perform a physical exam to look for typical clinical signs.
3. The veterinarian will draw blood in order to perform a blood test to look for Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.

Treatment for dogs with Lyme disease may include:

1. Antimicrobial therapy After being treated initially, there should be an improvement in the dog's condition within 48 hours.
2. Antibiotic therapy
   • Doxycycline, given orally every 12-24 hours is lipid soluble and is relatively inexpensive, but cannot be given to growing dogs. This antibiotic also treats other tick borne diseases.
   • Other antibiotics, such as Cephalexin, Amoxicillin, and Tetracycline, are frequently used with much success.
   • Antibiotic therapy does not eliminate the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, but does suppress the bacteria so that the symptoms subside. The bacteria will remain latent in the dog's body.

Prognosis for dogs with Lyme disease is very good. With treatment, dogs diagnosed with this disease should begin to see signs of improvement in as little as 2 to 3 days. But it is important to keep the dogs on treatment for the full term of the prescribed antibiotic therapy. Even if treatment has been successful, a recurrence of Lyme disease can occur; if it does, the dog should be put back on antibiotics.

Prevention can be the key to keeping dogs healthy and free from Lyme disease. Prevention will include using tick repellents and grooming daily. Dogs can be given a vaccination for Lyme disease, but there is much controversy over whether or not this vaccination actually protects the dog from this disease.