Lyme disease could probably be one of the most blatant tick-transmitted diseases there is on the planet. While it is known to affect mostly humans, it is also well known to also affect dogs. Lyme Borreliosis is what LD is called when it affects dogs. It is caused by a bacteria called a spirochete which belongs to the Borrelia burgdorferi group of bacteria. When the infection becomes present in dogs, the most common symptom is seen through the joints where it becomes inflamed alongside the effects causing loss of appetite and depression. The disease can also come to affect even the kidneys, heart, and nervous system of the victim.
Protect Your Dogs From Lyme Disease
More often than not, dogs who have been infected with Lyme Borreliosis experience kidney disease as well, and this is more prevalent in Golden retrievers, Shetland Sheepdogs, Labrador Retrievers, and Bernese Mountain dogs. While dogs may appear to be more prone to Lyme disease because of how ticks often stick to them, there are still areas of the world where dogs are not much experiencing Lyme Disease or tick-bacteria effects.
Dogs that develop Lyme disease display recurring lameness and laziness because of the inflammation of joints. This usually lasts for about three to four days and can recur in the following weeks ahead either in the same leg or other legs. This symptom is called “shifting-leg lameness” where more than a joint becomes swollen and painful.
Lyme disease, for infected dogs, can also lead to glomerulonephritis which is an inflammation of the kidney that may eventually result to organ failure. The usual symptoms for this are vomiting, lack of appetite, weight loss, frequent urination, thirst, diarrhea, and abnormal fluid build-ups.
Moreover, there are other symptoms associated with Lyme disease which can occur in dogs and these include:
- Arching of the back
- Complications on the nervous system
- Sensitivity to touch
- Abnormalities in the heart
- Difficulty in breathing
- Lymph nodes near the site of the tick bite
- Fever and lack of appetite
To properly diagnose your dog as having Lyme disease, your vet is more likely to run through the history of your dog’s health and other sickness. As such information will give the veterinarian as to what could have caused your dog's illness. Expect the vet to also run some blood tests on your pet, urinalysis, x-ray, fecal examination, and other tests that can prove whether or not your dog is carrying the Lyme Disease bacteria or not.
Before you even worry about having to go deal with those types of problems, we would advise you do preventive measures as early as today so you won’t have to deal with any type of vector-carried diseases in the future! Here at Go-Forth Home Services, we believe that prevention is the best way to keep your family healthy and safe from sicknesses and other health concerns. Let us help you create the safe and pest-free environment that you need!