Sympathy Lyme

[ClantyreSheltie]

Symptoms are pretty generic, I think. It can imitate a lot. The dog I had who was symptomatic went lame on his front leg. I figured his dumb-*** self leapt off the back of the sofa or something while I was at work. I took him down to the vet, she x-rayed him, and nothing came up. The following week, he was lame on the other front leg. He also didn't meet me at the door, and didn't eat his dinner. I took him to the vet and sat there for two hours waiting for the vet. I finally went up to a tech and asked if she could just draw the blood, please. I already knew it was Lymes. She did, and my vet walked in, looked at the test, said Lyme much? I saw the vet a whole three minutes. I got the doxy, and Marque was fine in two pills. He did the 28 days worth, and has been asymptomatic since.

The second dog has never shown a symptom, but tested positive. I did not treat her.

I think lethargy, lameness, not eating are all signs, but they are signs for a lot of other things. This is why I insist on not having picky eaters. If my dogs don't eat, they go to the vet. My dogs ALWAYS eat, and eat fast.

No, I don't use pesticides. I don't give the Lyme vaccine. Researching the human version was enough to scare me off of that. My dogs are generally not in the woods, and our yard doesn't seem to be tick-heaven. So my risks are pretty low. I would have to rethink that risk matrix if I were traveling up north again, or vising a wooded area.

 

[Ann]

We aren't so lucky. We live in Connecticut, the Lyme capital of the world, AND in the woods. And we have tons of deer. So we are rife with deer ticks.

Rachel nailed all the symptoms I've seen with our dogs too, except that at the onset they usually also have a fever, so if you've any doubt, take your dog's temperature. Normal should be between 100.5 and 102.5. Barkley is an anomaly...he gets lame, listless (never off his food) and this time, stiff but only has a high normal temp reading. Although the first time he had it he did have a fever. I believe what he gets now is a Lyme flare-up or relapse, since this is his fourth round in three and a half years with it.

We do treat with Natural Defense for Pixie and Barkley, and Frontline for Checkers since she gets bathed more regularly than once a month, and you don't lose the effectiveness of Frontline if you bathe them. Both the natural repellant and Frontline have the same amount of effectiveness in our house. We still find the occasional tick.

 

[take4roll10]

Is there a natural tick repellent that I can put on Bailey? Just for the day we go to CT next week? She is already on K9 advantix. I put it on Friday night, but I sprayed her with some water on Saturday afternoon. I forgot that they can't get wait. I'm afraid some may have worn off.

 

[lukabear]

Hope he responds quickly! Poor baby.

Symptom wise, Toulouse had a lame leg too. At first we thought it was a sprain, but through the next day or so he had less and less use of it. He was also running a high fever and was very lethargic. Ugh, the next day we found a nasty deer tick stuck to his head.

As soon as it was removed, (literally minutes later) he was using his leg. We got him doxy the next day and he continued to improve until all that was left was a fever and a little lethargy. He went through 3 rounds of doxy before it was all done with.

That was last Christmas and we haven't had another flareup. Maybe it does have something to do with the immune system?

We're very fortunate not to have any ticks in our yards, so I just keep them on plain Advantage. But they're being switched to Comfortis next month as they'll be in the country every weekend and it's crawling with deer (and by extension, their ticks).

 

[jerros]

It being "that time of year", it would be helpful if someone could refresh everyone on the symptoms of lyme, the side effects and what happens if left untreated.

I'm finding myself increasingly concerned about lyme, and what happens if I miss it! Lyme was never an issue in my region until a few years ago, now it has spread to my part of the world. And we have deer all over the island, though I've yet to see one this spring.

Thx in advance!

I'm piecing some info for you from a bunch of different sources. One should note that

Symptoms for people:

Lyme disease signs and symptoms vary widely because Lyme disease can affect various parts of the body. Not everyone with the disease will have all of the signs and symptoms. But in general, Lyme disease can cause:

Rash. A small, red bump may appear within a few days to a month, usually at the site of the tick bite — often in your groin or belt area or behind your knee. The bump may be warm to the touch and mildly tender. Over the next few days, the redness expands, forming a rash that may be as small as your fingertip or as large as 12 inches (30 centimeters) across. It often resembles a bull's-eye, with a red ring surrounding a clear area and a red center. The rash, called erythema migrans, is one of the hallmarks of Lyme disease, affecting about 70 to 80 percent of infected people. If you're allergic to tick saliva, redness may develop at the site of a tick bite. The redness usually fades within a week. This is not the same as erythema migrans, which tends to expand and become redder over time.

Flu-like symptoms. Fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash.

Migratory joint pain. If the infection is not treated, you may develop bouts of severe joint pain and swelling several weeks to months after you're infected. Your knees are especially likely to be affected, but the pain can shift from one joint to another.

Neurological problems. In some cases, inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs, and impaired muscle movement may occur weeks, months or even years after an untreated infection.

Less common signs and symptoms. Some people may experience heart problems — such as an irregular heartbeat — several weeks after infection, but this rarely lasts more than a few days or weeks. Eye inflammation, hepatitis and severe fatigue are possible as well.

Symptoms for Dogs:

In dogs, Lyme disease produces symptoms characterized by arthritis, though it can sometimes involve heart, nervous system and the kidneys. The arthritic joints may become swollen and hot, and there may be a fever (102 to 105 degrees) and poor appetite. Dogs may also become lame because of the disease. This painful lameness often appears suddenly and may shift from one leg to another. If untreated, it may eventually disappear, only to recur weeks or months later. The glands (lymph nodes) of the dog may also be swollen.

Many dogs suffering from Lyme Disease are taken to a veterinarian because they seem to be experiencing generalized pain and have stopped eating. Often these dogs have high fevers.

Some dogs are affected with the Lyme Disease organism for over a year before they finally show symptoms. By this time, the disease may be quite widespread in the dog's body.