An Overview of the Symptoms and Treatment Options for Canine Lyme disease. To put it briefly, your pet will contract Lyme disease when a tick sinks its teeth into his skin. The bacteria, Borrelia Burgdorferi, is the main cause behind the Lyme disease in dogs and the name originates from a town called Lyme in Connecticut. The interesting part is that the ticks aren’t dangerous by themselves, it’s their saliva which carries this bacteria- all they do is transmit it. The Deer Tick is the most common one as it is particularly fond of the Borrelia Burgdorferi.
Canine Lyme Disease Symptoms
The unfortunate part is that there aren’t too many early symptoms one can look out for, before the Lyme disease kicks in. The disease spreads fairly quickly which means that your dog will be running about and acting normal one day but will refuse to get up the next day and won’t be able to walk the day after that due to severe joint pain. Studies show that Lyme disease in dogs can be pointed out by localized discomfort in one of the 4 legs but only if you watch your dog very carefully. This is because his joints will get very tender before they freeze up altogether.
What is even more unfortunate is that it is virtually impossible for a dog owner to keep ticks away. They are extremely tiny and move very fast so even if by some miracle, you do spot it, it will settle
into your dog’s coat before you reach him.
The important point to remember is that if you do attempt to remove a tick from your infected pet and it goes wrong, you will end up contracting the disease as well. Therefore, it is recommended that you take your dog to the vet even if he shows the slightest signs of limping. It may turn out to be something else but even so, why take a chance? Before you ask, no, the disease will not be transmitted from your dog- the tick is the carrier of the disease so naturally, you can only get it if you are exposed to the bacteria.
Coming back to the point, canine Lyme disease will not only cause joint pain in your pet but also lead to high fever and swollen lymph nodes.
Another important point to keep in mind is that you needn’t worry because careful treatment will remove the infection from the root. Your dog will be on medication for a few weeks and after that, he will be back to normal before you know it!
It goes without saying that you need to keep checking your dog’s coat on regular basis to ensure that it hasn’t been infested by ticks. If ticks are particular fond of your dog’s blood, you need to buy the strongest anti-tick spray in the market and follow the instructions given behind the can. While you’re at it, buy some itch-relieving ointments as well. You don’t want your furry pal to scratch himself day in and day out, do you?
