Vets Share The Most Common Signs Of Lyme Disease In Dogs
Summer brings lots of great elements, such as barbecues, beach days and later sunsets ― but it also means the start of a widely despised time: tick season.
The small parasites can be hugely problematic in many parts of the country. Some carry the risk of Lyme disease, a debilitating tick-borne illness that can infect both people and animals — including dogs.
'Nearly 90% of cases of Lyme disease in people and in dogs occur in the northeastern United States, and the remaining 10% of cases are primarily occurring in the Midwest, and the Upper Midwest area — Minnesota, Wisconsin ... and then there's a small percentage in Northern California, but the overall spatial distribution of the disease is increasing,' said Dr. Jane Sykes, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in California.
'Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi ... dogs are infected when bitten by a tick that carries the organism,' said Dr. Michael Stone, internal medicine veterinarian and associate clinical professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
Not all ticks are carriers of the disease. In the Northeast and Midwest, deer ticks are carriers; in California, western black-legged ticks transmit the illness, according to Sykes.
No matter what, it's always unsettling to find a tick on yourself, on your pet or in your home. While people can vocalize any symptoms they have after finding a tick, the same can't be said for dogs. Even more troubling: 'Most dogs show no signs at all when they're infected,' Sykes said.
Dogs can develop antibodies to the bacteria without symptoms, she added.
'And when veterinarians are testing dogs routinely ... with tests that include a test for Lyme disease, getting positive results on that doesn't mean that your dog has Lyme disease. It just means your dog was exposed to Borrelia and developed antibodies to Borrelia, but it's not a reason to treat,' Sykes said.
In some instances, dogs can experience issues related to Lyme disease. Here are the signs:
According to Sykes, it takes at least a month for any signs of Lyme disease to appear in a dog (if they have signs at all). 'The dogs that do develop signs, they can have sort of nonspecific signs like a fever and decreased appetite,' Sykes explained.
They also may be more tired than usual and less active than usual too, she said.
However, just because your dog has these signs doesn't automatically mean they have Lyme disease. Many issues, from kennel cough to canine influenza to a gastrointestinal blockage can cause these issues.
Either way, it's a good idea to make an appointment with your vet if your pet shows any out-of-the-ordinary behavior. There are treatments available for most instances of Lyme disease in dogs, Sykes noted.
A dog infected with Lyme disease may experience limping in one or multiple legs, Stone said. Specifically ― as with people, too ― Lyme disease in dogs can cause arthritis, Sykes noted.
'The small joints ... of the limbs become inflamed, and that leads to lameness and sometimes swelling of those joints,' Sykes explained. 'And so these dogs that are infected, they look almost like they're walking on eggshells because every joint hurts.' Their lameness may shift from one leg to another in this case, she added.
In a small percentage of dogs — particularly retriever breeds — a serious kidney complication called Lyme nephritis can happen, Sykes said. 'It's an acute kidney injury, there's kidney failure and protein loss into the urine, and that can be very hard to treat,' she said.
Signs of this rare condition include vomiting, more frequent urination and weight loss, according to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. 'And that's really the thing that we want to prevent the most through efforts to prevent Lyme disease,' Sykes added.
'My primary recommendation is tick prevention,' Stone said. 'There are many effective products available from your veterinarian.'
Sykes added that many of the preventative products kill ticks within 24 hours of attachment to your pup. (A tick typically needs to be attached for at least 24 hours before it can spread Lyme.)
'So, you can use preventative products, and they're not going to be 100%, especially in areas where you've got lots of ticks ... they'll decrease the chance of transmission,' Sykes noted.
There are both prescription and non-prescription formulations available, Stone added, 'but some products are more effective than others.'
Lyme vaccinations and preventive pills are available, along with tick prevention collars and anti-tick sprays. As mentioned above, these preventive products don't mean a tick won't end up on your dog. If you do find a tick on your pup, you can remove it yourself using tweezers.
To figure out the best medication for your pup, chat with your veterinarian, he said. And if your dog does become infected, your veterinarian can help determine the best treatment, too.
'If your dog gets diagnosed with Lyme disease, or even if your dog has just a positive test result ... it means that your dog's getting exposed, and you in your household are also at risk of getting infected and exposed,' Sykes said.
Check yourself for ticks and be mindful of the signs of Lyme disease in people, which include joint pain, fever, chills, stiff neck and headache, according to Penn Medicine. The bull's eye rash is a commonly known red flag, too.
While it's important to check your dogs for ticks after walks, it's just as important to check yourself. Wearing protective clothing can also help keep ticks from attaching your skin, Sykes noted.
Lyme disease can be serious in dogs and serious in people, too, making it crucial that both you and your pet stay protected.
6 Signs Your Dog Is Happy
The 1 Thing Every Dog Owner Should Do With Their Pet On A Walk
The 4 Biggest Early Warning Signs Of Lyme Disease
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Experts issue warning over dangerous new insect species spreading across US: 'Managing them is not easy'
An invasive tick species from Asia is quickly multiplying across the eastern United States, and according to Patch, it's prompting concern from environmental officials. The Asian longhorned tick, first identified in the U.S. in 2017, has now been found in at least 17 states and is spreading particularly fast in southeastern Pennsylvania, where cases have surged by 150% over the last five years. Unlike most ticks, the Asian longhorned tick doesn't need a mate to reproduce. One female can lay up to 3,000 eggs, resulting in infestations so dense that wildlife officials have found hundreds of ticks on a single animal. "Managing them is not easy because of how numerous they are and how easily they can come back," Risa Pesapane, a preventive medicine professor at Ohio State University, said, per Patch. Luckily, there's no strong evidence linking these ticks to Lyme disease. However, their ability to transmit other illnesses, including a cattle disease called Theileria orientalis that causes severe anemia and fever, poses an urgent threat to food supply chains and native animal populations. Their rapid spread also puts pressure on local ecosystems. Asian longhorned ticks feed on a wide range of animals, from deer and raccoons to dogs, cats, cattle, and even squirrels and skunks. With their capacity for rapid growth and adaptability to mild, humid conditions, experts warn that they could eventually populate much of the eastern U.S. and parts of the West Coast. Invasions like this destroy biodiversity by outcompeting native tick species and disrupting predator-prey relationships that keep nature in balance. In a world already struggling with rising temperatures and shrinking habitats, the introduction of yet another aggressive species threatens to worsen existing issues. According to Patch, experts say prevention and early action are key. Pesticides can work, but only when applied directly. Even then, ticks often bounce back. The best approach is to keep pastures mowed, regularly check pets and livestock, and report sightings to local health officials. If you find a tick on you, store it in rubbing alcohol and contact your doctor or county health office. For pets and livestock, get in touch with your vet immediately. Perhaps most importantly, support efforts to protect native ecosystems. The more resilient our local wildlife and natural habitats are, the harder it is for invasive species to take hold. Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely Only if it saves money I'm not sure No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Involuntary commitments to state hospitals from Johnson County have 'exploded'
Mental health problems are being addressed in many ways throughout Johnson County, from law enforcement to the district attorney's office. However, the need for intervention is greater than ever.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
In Southern California, many are skipping healthcare out of fear of ICE operations
Missed childhood vaccinations. Skipped blood sugar checks. Medications abandoned at the pharmacy. These are among the healthcare disruptions providers have noticed since Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations began in Southern California earlier this month. Across the region, once-busy parks, shops and businesses have emptied as undocumented residents and their families hole up at home in fear. As rumors of immigration arrests have swirled around clinics and hospitals, many patients are also opting to skip chronic-care management visits as well as routine childhood check-ups. In response, local federally qualified health centers — institutions that receive federal funds and are required by law to provide primary care regardless of ability to pay — have been scrambling to organize virtual appointments, house calls and pharmacy deliveries to patients who no longer feel safe going out in public. 'We're just seeing a very frightening and chaotic environment that's making it extremely difficult to provide for the healthcare needs of our patients,' said Jim Mangia, president of St. John's Community Health, which offers medical, dental and mental health care to more than 100,000 low-income patients annually in Southern California. Prior to the raids, the system's network of clinics logged about a 9% no-show rate, Mangia said. In recent weeks, more than 30% of patients have canceled or failed to show. In response, the organization has launched a program called Healthcare Without Fear to provide virtual and home visits to patients concerned about the prospect of arrest. 'When we call patients back who missed their appointment and didn't call in, overwhelmingly, they're telling us they're not coming out because of ICE,' said Mangia, who estimates that 25% of the clinic's patient population is undocumented. 'People are missing some pretty substantial healthcare appointments.' A recent survey of patient no-shows at nonprofit health clinics across Los Angeles County found no universal trends across the 118 members of the Community Clinic Assn. of L.A. County, President Louise McCarthy said. Some clinics have seen a jump in missed appointments, while others have observed no change. The data do not indicate how many patients opted to convert scheduled in-person visits to telehealth so they wouldn't have to leave home, she noted. Patients have also expressed concerns that any usage of health services could make them targets. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shared the personal data of Medicaid enrollees with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including their immigration status. No specific enforcement actions have been directly linked to the data. 'The level of uncertainty and anxiety that is happening now is beyond the pale,' McCarthy said, for patients and staff alike. County-run L.A. General Medical Center issued a statement on Thursday refuting reports that federal authorities had carried out enforcement operations at the downtown trauma center. While no immigration-related arrests have been reported at county health facilities, 'the mere threat of immigration enforcement near any medical facility undermines public trust and jeopardizes community health,' the department said in a statement. Los Angeles County is among the providers working to extend in-home care options such as medication delivery and a nurse advice line for people reluctant to come in person. 'However, not all medical appointments or conditions can be addressed remotely,' a spokesperson said. 'We urge anyone in need of care not to delay.' Providers expressed concern that missing preventative care appointments could lead to emergencies that both threaten patients' lives and further stress public resources. Preventative care 'keeps our community at large healthy and benefits really everyone in Los Angeles,' said a staff member at a group of L.A. area clinics. He asked that his employer not be named for fear of drawing attention to their patient population. Neglecting care now, he said, 'is going to cost everybody more money in the long run.' A patient with hypertension who skips blood pressure monitoring appointments now may be more likely to be brought into an emergency room with a heart attack in the future, said Dr. Bukola Olusanya, a medical director at St. John's. 'If [people] can't get their medications, they can't do follow-ups. That means a chronic condition that has been managed and well-controlled is just going to deteriorate,' she said. 'We will see patients going to the ER more than they should be, rather than coming to primary care.' Providers are already seeing that shift. When a health team visited one diabetic patient recently at home, they found her blood sugar levels sky-high, Mangia said. She told the team she'd consumed nothing but tortillas and coffee in the previous five days rather than risk a trip to the grocery store. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
