Lyme disease in dogs

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Borelia burgdorferi and transmitted by ticks. If the dog or cat is bitten by a tick, they may have contracted Lyme disease. The tick is the vector here. He transmits the disease to us or our pets, but does not contract it himself.

What are the causes?
The Ixodes tick is the species of tick that can transmit the Lyme disease bacteria. The tick bites an animal and multiplies without disturbing the animal. Research has shown that a tick must be on the dog for at least 24 hours before it has shed enough bacteria to cause disease. The sooner you remove the tick, the lower your risk of contracting Lyme disease. An infected animal cannot transmit the disease to humans by itself, a tick is needed for this.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

The red spot around the bite, which is typical for humans, cannot be seen in dogs. Some symptoms that indicate Lyme disease in dogs are:

• joint inflammation

• Sudden lameness and joint pain

• Fever

• Decreased appetite

• lethargy

• Swollen lymph nodes

• effects on the kidneys

• Acute death (very rare)

When should I go to the vet?
You can remove the tick at home. However, if a piece of the tick breaks off, the skin can become inflamed. Do this with tick tweezers and carefully unscrew them. By using an attractant, the tick is killed within 24 hours and falls off. However, the risk of Lyme disease is higher. You can have the tick sent in for examination. It is then examined whether the tick was a carrier of Lyme disease.

After removing the tick, it is important to keep a close eye on the dog for a few days. As soon as signs of a tick are visible, it is important to go to the vet. Even if an examination has shown that the tick was a carrier of Lyme disease, it is important to go to the vet.

How is the diagnosis made?
First, there is a good conversation between the veterinarian and the owner. Often the veterinarian can conclude from this conversation whether Lyme disease is present or not. If there is a suspicion that the disease is present, a clinical examination is carried out.

After the clinical examination, a blood test is carried out. Blood tests can show an infection. However, this is only visible after a few weeks, so this test must be repeated for a reliable result.

How is the treatment?
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. The first choice here is doxycycline.

What's the prognosis?
An animal with Lyme disease will show symptoms within a few days of being bitten. The sooner you catch it, the better the prognosis, because a late diagnosis of Lyme disease can become chronic and cause serious kidney damage.

How can it be prevented?
Ticks live in tall woods and bushes, avoid them if possible and check the dog for ticks after a walk. You should remove a tick as soon as possible to minimize the risk of Lyme disease.

There are a number of flea treatments that also protect against ticks.

This text was translated by a translation machine