Lyme Disease in Dogs

The vet answers:

Not all ticks carry infection, and even if they do, the infection does not get transmitted to your dog, but if your dog has had ticks, there is a risk. Lyme disease is common in dogs, but the infection rarely causes symptoms. The tick must suck blood for at least a day in order to infect the dog. Contact a veterinarian if your dog develops symptoms of Lyme disease.

Symptoms

It can take a long time before Lyme disease symptoms appear; the incubation period is 2-6 months, but dogs rarely get symptoms Fever, fatigue, and lameness can be seen in the dogs that possibly develop symptoms.

Cause

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium and is transmitted to the dog via the tick’s saliva. The tick must have been there for at least 24 hours to be able to infect the dog.

What can I do myself?

Avoid Lyme disease by protecting your dog against ticks. Your Vet can prescribe preventative parasitic treatment. These treatments can be administered orally or on the skin, usually once per month and based on your pet’s weight. Inspect your dog regularly, particularly if your pet has a longer coat and you have been walking in woodland or grassland areas. Ticks commonly are found behind the ears, under elbows and between toes. You can remove the ticks yourself with a tool you can purchase in most pet shops, or you can go to your groomer or vet.

How To Protect Your Dog from Ticks

When do I need to see a vet?

Contact a veterinarian if your dog shows symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, lethargy and walking lameness. Borrelia in dogs is a difficult diagnosis to establish. In the first instance, one tries to rule out other possible causes of the dog’s symptoms before making the diagnosis of Lyme disease. A possible Lyme infection is treated with antibiotics.

Is your matter urgent?

Then we always recommend that you contact your veterinarian directly.