Lyme Disease and Your Diabetic Dog

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. So let’s be aware of what to look for, prevention, and treatment. Lyme is transmitted by ticks so knowing where ticks live will give us some insight as to what areas to avoid while walking our pups. Ticks are likely to be found in tall grasses, thick brush, marshes and woods. A tick can transmit the disease once it has been attached to a dog for 24-48 hours.

What does it mean? Every time you return from a walk, scour your pup for ticks, especially in protected places like between toes, “armpits”, under chin, around ears, etc. Ticks don’t jump or fly so when you or your pup brush up against tall grass, the tick will attach to the “host” and get comfortable.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs?

• Fever
• Loss of Appetite
• Reduced energy
• Lameness (can be shifting, intermittent and recurring)
• Generalized stiffness, discomfort or pain
• Swelling of joints

Symptoms can progress to kidney failure, which can be fatal. Serious cardiac and neurological effects can also occur.

How is diagnosis made? A combination of history, physical signs and diagnostics. For dogs, there are two blood tests for diagnosing Lyme disease called The C6 Test and the Quant C6 test.

The C6 test detects antibodies against a protein called “C6”. Presence of the antibodies suggests an active Lyme infection. The C6 antibodies can be detected three to five weeks after an infected tick bites a dog and may be found in the bloodstream even before the dog shows signs of illness. Next, a quant C6 test is warranted along with a urinalysis to determine if antibiotic treatment is necessary.

Treatment includes antibiotics for at least 30 days. This often resolves symptoms quickly, but in some cases, the infection will persist and prolonged medication may be needed.

Here’s a common question… Can I catch Lyme from my dog? The short answer is that no, you can’t. Lyme disease can’t be transmitted from one pet to another or from pets to humans.

Prevention:

Be careful where you walk your dog. Stay away from tall grasses and marshy areas.

Upon returning home, inspect your pup thoroughly while paying careful attention to the areas mentioned above for ticks.

I’d like to take this time to remind you about the Mother’s Day promotion that has been extended! A percentage of sales of select products denoted by the "Furever Pets" icon will be donated to a local rescue in South Florida.

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Until next time…