Lyme disease in dogs: causes, symptoms and treatment

Our Pets, like people, are susceptible to various ailments. And sick the dogs with tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis? On past misfortunes, and heard something not everyone. But the danger, however, should not be underestimated. Unfortunately, the answer to the question of whether dogs get sick with encephalitis and borreliosis in the affirmative. And today the topic of our article - is this not so known, but serious illness. That is, we talk about the symptoms and treatment of borreliosis in dogs.

Lyme borreliosis, otherwise known as Lyme disease, is one of the common diseases found among dogs. It is transmitted by ticks. The causative agent, the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, belonging to the group of spirochetosis.

Gets the pathogen in the animal body through the tick bite. A similar route of infection and susceptible persons. The symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs differ-specificity.

Ill they animal can only in the warm season, but due to the long incubation period (over several months), the clinical picture can be revealed only in winter.

What is this disease?

Given a name: Lyme disease - is customary in domestic practice, under the name of the bacteria that causes it. American Lyme disease (this is the name of the city where the pathogen was discovered for the first time).

Everywhere inhabited by ticks, infection with the disease. Infectious agents are contained in organisms larvae of mites. Not every insect is a vector of the disease, but the risk to get it more where there was a high level of coverage of this infection.

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A Disease you can "catch" and in urban areas, but "wild" (i.e. natural) environment creates for the infection much more prerequisites.

5 to 10 % of the total dog population able to resist dangerous bacteria. The risk of infection the less, the sooner the tick to remove the animal. Besides, urgent intervention has a positive effect on the symptoms of the disease.

The severity of the clinical picture is directly related to the concentration of got in the blood of the pathogen. If you have time to produce the procedure of removing adult tick from the bitten place during the day, it is possible to prevent the transmission and development of infection.

Tick-borne Lyme Disease in dogs: symptoms

Characteristic in common for the symptoms lies in their nespecificnomu. This means that in each case different animals can be identified completely different symptoms. It is the systemic nature of borreliosis in dogs, that is, the ability to affect many organs and systems. In addition, specific pathogens prefer certain tissues of the body.

In this regard, diagnosis of the disease can be quite challenging - pronounced clinical signs may not be.

For the symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs is characterized by two main stages:

1. The first of these starts at the time of the bite and lasts from 20 to 30 days (in some cases up to six months). At that time the causative agent is the stage of active development in the skin tissue of the animal, but spread it outside of the lesion is not happening. Certain symptoms at this time usually does not happen.

2. The second stage is called clinical. Its beginning occurs when the developing process of active migration of bacteria into the circulatory system of the animal, so they spread throughout the body.

The Symptoms in a given period depend on which of the systems is localization of the pathological process.

If the affected musculoskeletal system

Often a sign of Lyme disease in dogs - joint damage. This pathological process occurs in most diseased individuals (about 80 %). To recognize the signs of a pathological condition can pain and swelling in the joints (or one of them), alternating lameness in different legs, flowing periods in three or four days. Sometimes these attacks can be interspersed with "healthy" within a few weeks duration.

The Dog loses appetite, gets tired quickly, unwilling to move and is in a depressed state. All this often coincides with the beginning of the next exacerbation of lameness.

The Manifestation of these symptoms may occur separately or in combination. Watch them often after 1-6 months after the bite of a tick. Diagnosis in this context is sometimes very difficult.

If damaged cardiovascular system

When borrelii attack the heart muscle, it is possible to observe symptoms associated with shortness of breath and palpitations. As in the whole animal organism is usually quite resistant to the pathogen, symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs, which belong to a heart, can pass unnoticed.

The Infection is "hiding" in the body long enough until you will have a more significant complication is an inflammation of the heart muscle. Depending on how severe the disease process, it is possible to observe arrhythmia, pulmonary edema, cyanosis of the mucous membranes and other symptoms of heart failure in the animal.

Neuroborreliosis: when the lesion is in the nervous system

In connection with a disease at a certain stage is possible sharp deterioration of the General condition of the animal. The appetite of the dog is lost, perhaps spontaneous development of full or partial paralysis of the limbs, and often affects the hind legs. Last this condition can be quite long, and perhaps the complete disappearance of his symptoms.

If the nerve centers the spinal cord or brain suffered severe injury, disturbances in the motor activity of the animal body may be irreversible. This is manifested as a permanent paresis, paralysis or dysfunction of the internal organs. The dog subjected to extreme suffering and often dying.

If you have damaged kidneys

Dysfunction of urine formation and urinary output caused by borreliosis in dogs, manifested as frequent urination in small portions, accompanied by pain, nalichiem in the urine traces of blood. In the absence of treatment of this important body may cause glomerulonephritis with subsequent kidney failure.

The Symptoms in this case are reduced to the diarrhea and vomiting, a sharp decrease (up to complete absence) of appetite, weight loss, thirst and increased urination. Also it is often possible to observe the development of subcutaneous edema in the abdomen and thighs on the inside.

Once again stress that for this disease is characterized by different symptoms in each individual case. Purebred animals are much more likely to suffer from disorders of the nervous system and problems with joints. Purebred dogs are more prone to kidney disease. In addition, any of the above complexes can be present by itself or together with other.

How to diagnose?

In connection with a wide range of signs and possible symptoms diagnosis, as has been said, quite difficult. Because such manifestations can occur in many others cases. Perhaps the main symptom indicating the likelihood of Lyme disease, is intermittent claudication, which can not ignore the owner of the animal.

The veterinarian will carefully examine all the signs, not forgetting along the way about the possibility of simultaneous infection of an animal by a number of other diseases that also can be transmitted through a tick bite.

What's waiting for a sick dog in the clinic

In our day veterinary practice includes the following diagnostic methods:

1. To assess the function of the kidneys, pancreas and liver, carried out biochemical and complete blood count. Certainly need to determine blood sugar levels.

2. Concurrent diseases may be diagnosed by microscopic analysis of blood smear.

3. To eliminate the possibility of infection with intestinal parasites, examine feces.

4. The blood is subjected to a study on the level of water-salt metabolism in order to eliminate the risk of dehydration with electrolyte imbalance.

5. Urinary tract infection detected by urinalysis, including determination of protein in it.

6. You may have to resort to the study of the thyroid gland to determine the level of hormones.

7. Heart problems, which demonstrates an abnormal rhythm of his work, diagnosed with an ECG.

8. Organic pathology of the joints exclude by x-ray examination of the limbs of the animal.

9. In addition, there are specific methods that can indicate the presence of bacteria in the body or their metabolic products.

Treatment of Lyme disease in dogs

That the treatment was successful, they should try as early as possible to identify dangerous symptoms. Veterinarians resort to antibiotic therapy. The most widely applied product in this case is "Doxycycline". But depending on the clinical picture of a veterinarian can be prescribed another antibiotic.

Often treatment is successful. A positive trend can be observed sometimes in 2-4 days. If necessary, appoint supportive therapy.

To Contain the diseased animal should be in dry and warm conditions limiting physical activity until signs of recovery. It is recommended to use this mode for 4 weeks. If the main symptom of the disease - the defeat of the joints, the disappearance can be expected in 3-5 days from the start of therapy. In the case when this happens, you can think about the presence of another disease.

Symptoms of this disease are completely not always and not in all animals. Even if a complete cure joint pain can persist long enough. Moreover, in view of the possible complications of the paralysis or paresis is quite able to stay with the dogs until the end of life.

How to prevent infection

Widespread Ixodes tick in our nature everywhere. It is found not only in forests but also in the city. Therefore every time while walking the animal is at risk of attacks by parasites. To reduce the likelihood of infection you should stick to the numbersimple rules:

1. Every time you return from the street expose the pet examination, especially if you live near the forest.

2. Aiming to look for the tick in thick dog hair conveniently by means of a conventional dryer operating in cool mode.

3. Pay attention to the actions of the dog. When she itches hard in the same place, maybe there is the presence of the tick.

4. Take the time to inspect and shake clothing and other things. After a tick is able to find his victim in the apartment.

5. Recommended treatment before each walk for the animal by means of a special pincers. Best helps the spray, the second on the effectiveness of place - special drops applied to the withers. A special collar is usually ineffective.

What are the conclusions?

Now you know the answers to questions about how sick do dogs Lyme disease is and what you can do with it. Remember: the transmission is possible only upon the bite of a tick. Infected from another animal, your pet can not. Similarly, Lyme disease is not transmitted from dogs except cases, when the blood of a sick animal can get into the open wound.

Again the symptoms: watch for signs of intermittent claudication accompanied with fever without appetite on the background of General depression. Pay attention to the signs of partial or permanent paralysis.

If the disease is not running, then provided timely initiation of treatment could be considered as favorable. Do to diagnose and attempt to help your pet on their own - occupation is inefficient. In the case of suspected disease the only solution is to go to the clinic the vet.