Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease
Amber, RVT

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection from the bite of a tick that contains the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. The black legged tick, or deer tick, is the most common carrier of this bacteria. The best way to protect your pet from Lyme disease is to keep them on year round tick prevention and vaccinate against the disease every year. Even while keeping your pet on prevention and vaccinating them yearly, it is still important to get your pet tested every year to ensure these protective measures are doing their job.

Clinical signs of this disease include fever, swollen or sore joints, loss of appetite, lethargy, and in severe cases kidney malfunction. Owners often come in saying their pet has become lame or is limping. Clinical signs of Lyme disease can take weeks or even months to appear, and sometimes dogs don’t show any clinical signs at all.

If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to kidney failure; a disease known as Lyme nephritis. The infection of Borrelia burgdorferi causes an immune response in the kidneys that results in inflammation. This prolonged inflammation in the kidneys causes them to shut down. This is why yearly testing for this tick-borne disease is so important.

Again, the best way to protect your pet is yearly vaccination and year round tick prevention. If you suspect your pet has Lyme disease, scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian is the first step.