Many of us have heard of the dangerous tick-borne illness known as Lyme disease. It causes a characteristic bullseye rash and severe illness. Most people are aware of the threat of Lyme disease. However, though this disease is a well-known, the way it impacts dogs is still a mystery to many. So, can dogs get Lyme disease? And if so, how can you tell if they have it?
Unfortunately, our canine friends are not immune to this tick-borne illness. It’s important to understand the details of this condition so you can best protect your little one! In this article, we discuss the details of Lyme disease in dogs. We also tackle the health complications it can cause and how you can prevent this illness in your beloved pup!
Let’s dive in!
What Is Lyme Disease?
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We should first make sure we understand what Lyme disease is in the first place. Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is a bacteria that is spread to people or animals through an infected tick bite. This bacterium makes its way into the blood once the tick bites the skin. It travels to different parts of the body through the bloodstream. Once the host is infected, Lyme borreliosis can impact multiple parts of the body and lead to systemic illness. Lyme disease can not only impacts quality of life, but it can even be fatal in some cases.
Can Dogs Get Lyme Disease?
Yes, dogs can get Lyme disease just like humans can. The dog just needs to cross paths with an infected tick, often deer ticks or black-legged ticks. And they can easily fall victim to Lyme disease through the infected tick’s bite. Dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors are at even higher risk of crossing paths with an infected tick. If the tick spends more than 24 hours on your dog, it will be able to spread tick-borne illness.
Where Do Ticks Typically Live?
To best protect your dog from ticks, it’s important to have an idea of where ticks enjoy spending their time. Though ticks can typically be found anywhere, they prefer to live in areas with tall grass, roughage, or wooded areas. It’s when your little one passes through these areas that they come in contact with the ticks. These insects hitch a ride on your pup!
Is Lyme Disease Contagious?
Both humans and animals can only catch Lyme disease through the bite of an infected tick; there has been no evidence of spreading another way.
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If you think your dog could have Lyme disease, you may be worried about it spreading to others. Thankfully, Lyme disease cannot spread from dog to dog, or from dog to person. Both humans and animals can only catch Lyme disease through the bite of an infected tick. There has been no evidence of it spreading in any other manner.
What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs?
It can take anywhere from two to five months for symptoms of Lyme disease to develop in dog. Once they do, many pets will experience significant illness. These symptoms can be vague and a bit challenging to diagnose, but many dogs experience the following:
- Fever
- Painful legs, often described as looking like they are walking on eggshells
- Limping or complete leg lameness, even switching from leg to leg
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Joint stiffness
- Joint swelling
- Weight loss
If you notice any of the above symptoms in your canine, we suggest having him assessed by a vet. Even if Lyme disease is not the underlying cause of his symptoms, these signs require a medical assessment.
How Do I Know If My Dog Has Lyme Disease?
The only way to know if your dog has Lyme disease is by having her examined and tested. The first step of their diagnosis will begin by collecting a thorough medical history.
Your vet will ask you about current symptoms and how long they have been present. He’ll also ask if your dog is on tick prevention and if your dog spends time in any tick areas. Many vets will begin to suspect Lyme disease if your pup is experiencing limb pain and a fever. But a few tests will need to be performed to be sure.
Once your vet is worried about Lyme disease in your dog, there are a few testing methods to explore. The first test option is an in-house SNAP test that screens for Lyme disease. However, this is not always the best option. It can offer a negative test result if the dog has not yet created antibodies from the Lyme bacteria. If the test is negative but your vet suspects tick disease, they can perform other test options as well.
The most effective way to test for Lyme disease in dogs is by sending a sample of your dog’s blood and urine to the lab and performing a tick disease PCR. This method of testing can search for evidence of an active Lyme infection and will still detect the illness if antibodies are not present.
In addition to specific Lyme disease testing, your vet will also perform standard blood and urine diagnostics to make sure their organs are functioning properly. Lyme disease can lead to organ damage in many dogs, specifically kidney damage, so they will need to look for these complications as well.
Can You Treat Lyme Disease in Dogs?
Though Lyme disease in dogs can lead to an array of vague and complicated symptoms, treatment of this tick-borne illness is often straight forward. If your dog has been infected with Lyme disease, but they are not experiencing any significant organ damage, then most do well with antibiotic therapy. Treatment will usually involve doxycycline, amoxicillin, and azithromycin, and treatment often lasts for four to five weeks.
However, if your dog’s Lyme disease has affected their kidneys, then treatment can be much more complicated. Some dogs will require aggressive hospitalization to bring their kidneys out of crisis, and some will be unable to recover. If your dog’s Lyme disease has impacted their kidneys, then we suggest trusting your vet’s guidance on what’s best for your pup.
How To Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs
You can help to prevent Lyme disease in your dog by putting them on flea and tick prevention and checking them regularly for ticks.
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Now that you are aware of just how much Lyme disease can impact your beloved pup, you will want to do everything possible to prevent this tick-borne illness! Thankfully for everyone, preventing Lyme disease is not only possible, but fairly easy! Let’s list a few of our favorite Lyme disease prevention tips below.
Flea and tick prevention: Since ticks need to be attached to your dog for 24-48 hours to spread tick-borne illness, tick prevention is an effective way to prevent this from happening. Tick prevention kills most ticks within 24 hours of them attaching to your dog, so it kills the ticks before they have a chance to spread disease.
Regular tick checks: Regular tick checks are a great way to spot any ticks that have made a home of your furry friend. We suggest checking your dog’s body for ticks daily if they spend a lot of time in high-risk areas, and be sure to focus on hidden areas between the toes and behind the ears.
Keep your grass mowed: Ticks prefer to spend their time in high grass or comparable roughage, which is why mowing your lawn regularly is essential for keeping tick populations low on your property. Though this won’t prevent ticks completely, it will cut down the risk of your yard becoming a tick hot spot.
Final Thoughts
Lyme disease is a serious health threat that all pet parents should be aware of. Be sure to review the tips we discussed above on preventing Lyme disease in your dog, and you can promote a healthy and happy future for your little one!
