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Lyme Disease
Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis are prevalent diseases in Minnesota. These diseases can be difficult to diagnose and can cause severe, chronic abnormalities in your dog. Adequate tick control is the key to prevention for both of these diseases. 
We recommend Frontline Plus, a monthly topical tick preventative. In addition, we recommend vaccinating all at-risk dogs for Lyme disease.
We are currently offering a special on Frontline Plus - Buy 6, Get One Free - to help protect your dog from these dangerous diseases.
Deer ticks transmit the bacterial organism that causes Lyme disease. In humans, 80% of those infected with Lyme disease will develop a rash (“bulls-eye” lesion) and flu-like symptoms within days to weeks of the tick bite. These signs can progress to joint pain, neurologic abnormalities, and heart rhythm disturbances. Approximately 60% of untreated people will develop chronic disease consisting mainly of intermittent arthritis.
Unlike humans, signs in dogs do not occur for weeks to months after infection. The hallmark clinical sign in dogs is arthritis and usually presents as pain in one or more joints. Affected dogs may also have a fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a lack of appetite.
If left untreated, the disease can progress and cause chronic changes in the body, including chronic arthritis and kidney disease. Other less common chronic diseases associated with Lyme disease include meningitis, and in very rare cases, heart or neurologic abnormalities.
The Companion Animal Parasite Council has developed important guidelines for protecting pets and pet owners from parasitic infections. St. Francis Animal & Bird Hospital is committed to providing you with these important guidelines and helping you make choices that will protect your loved ones.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis of Lyme disease is not straightforward. Several tests are available that detect antibodies to the bacteria. However, a positive antibody titer only indicates that your pet has been exposed to the organism at some point in time. Just because your pet has been exposed does not mean that your pet necessarily has Lyme disease. In fact, depending on the area, up to 90% of asymptomatic normal dogs have positive titers.
For those dogs at high risk for Lyme disease, it is recommended to do screening tests. The current test of choice is an in-house SNAP test that identifies a positive or a negative. This test identifies a specific protein found only on the living bacteria. This test will not produce a false positive in response to vaccination. If your pet is positive for Lyme disease, but is not showing any clinical signs, your veterinarian will discuss whether or not to treat.
Whether treatment is pursued or not, a positive test indicates that your pet is exposed to ticks and proper tick prevention is essential. In addition, your veterinarian will recommend regular screening tests to monitor for kidney disease or other complications associated with Lyme disease.
Symptomatic dogs should be treated. Doxycycline is the treatment of choice. Most veterinarians treat for at least 4 weeks. This medication should be given with food or water. Amoxicillin or azithromycin may be used in those animals that cannot tolerate doxycycline. Unfortunately, as of yet, there is no good way to determine the success of therapy other than monitoring clinical signs. Because the current tests indicate exposure to the organism, they usually remain positive despite treatment. Some studies suggest that dogs never truly clear the infection. Our goal should be to at least make them asymptomatic, then monitor closely for signs of secondary problems such as kidney disease or chronic joint pain.
Prevention of Lyme disease is the goal. Various products are available to prevent ticks in our pets. We recommend Frontline Plus, a monthly topical tick preventative. While Frontline Plus does not prevent tick attachment, it generally kills the tick before it can transmit the Lyme organism. Make sure to avoid bathing 2 days before and 2 days after application of Frontline Plus.
It is important to realize that both the adult deer tick and the tiny nymph stage can transmit the organism. These ticks are very small, so don’t rely on just checking your dog daily as a means of tick prevention. While this is a good habit, it is not enough.
Finally, a vaccine is available for the prevention of Lyme disease. We use a recombinant vaccine that uses a single protein to stimulate immunity rather than the whole bacteria. Because of this, this vaccine tends to have less side effects and risk of reaction than some of the previous vaccines on the market. While it is very effective in the prevention of Lyme disease, it is important to remember that no vaccine is 100% effective in controlling infections. Make sure to combine good tick prevention with vaccination for ultimate control.
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