The Cause And Symptoms Of Canine Lyme Disease

By Moses Wright

Canine Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of a tick that as carrying the bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi is the name of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Lyme diseases most commonly transmitted through bites from a deer tick. Deer ticks are extremely small and can be described as being the size of a period on a printed page. Dog ticks are a significantly larger species of tick, but dogs can get bit by deer ticks.

Dogs that become infected with canine Lyme disease develop severe joint pain. Dogs with Lyme disease will often limp especially with one front leg. Lyme disease can also cause lymph node swelling and of fever.

The dog can develop so much joint pain that the joint pain prevents the dog from moving. The joint pain can become this severe within a few days of the onset of Lyme disease.

Besides the joints, Lyme disease can also affect the dog's heart muscle and nerve tissue. If the dog is promptly treated for Lyme disease by a veterinarian, the risk of permanent damage is minimized.

The dog's symptoms and medical history tells the veterinarian diagnosed Lyme disease. Antibiotics are typically prescribed for the treatment of canine Lyme disease. If the dog is having joint pain, a pain reliever may also be prescribed.

Most dogs respond very well to treatment for Lyme disease. Approximately five percent of the dogs that have been treated for Lyme disease will continue to have permanent damage or symptoms of Lyme disease.

Some permanent damage that may continue after treatment includes joint pain, heart problems, a neurological difficulties. In some cases, the Lyme disease can be recurrent causing the reemergence of the symptoms.

Lyme disease vaccinations can help prevent Lyme disease, but having the vaccine does not guarantee that the dog will not contract Lyme disease. The vaccination is one way that a dog owner can reduce the dog's risk of canine Lyme disease.

A preventative medicine such as flea and tick drops that are applied monthly reduce the dog's risk of canine Lyme disease. Dog owners should check their dogs for ticks after the dogs have been outside, but being that takes are incredibly small they can be difficult to see.

The dog owner should not panic if a tick is found on the dog. Dog owners should remember that not all of ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The tick should be removed promptly with a tweezers to reduce the risk of infection. - 29895

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here