February | 2013 | lyme at home

Due to Lyme disease causing stiffness, joint pain, and weakness, people with Lyme spend most of their time in bed, relaxing, and limiting their movements.  Although exercise causes herxing and pain, it is very important to fit some exercise into your schedule.  Beside the pain and joint damage, your whole body changes.  Every part of your body becomes at risk.  By involving exercise and a healthy diet, future problems can be avoided.

Some recommendations include stretching, breathing, free weights, walking, pool workouts, and doing these things every other day.  It’s important to know your limits.  Just because you were able to do something before the Lyme doesn’t mean you will be at your best after the Lyme.

An important thing to remember is to avoid cardio at first.  Start slow and work your way into harder exercises.  You don’t want to over do it and discourage yourself.  It will hurt because the oxygen flowing through your system is killing off the Lyme bacteria.

No pain no gain!

I read an article that talked about a new tick transmitted disease that is similar to Lyme disease.  The organism that is this new disease is called Borrelia miyamotoi.  It was first found in Japan in 1995 then in Central Russia in 2011.  In 2001 and 2006, cases were found in deer ticks in Connecticut and Northern California.  Cases of this show fever that burns for days and then disappears.  It can cause flu like symptoms, headache, muscle aches, stiff neck, and fatigue.  A round of doxycycline or amoxycilin will prevent further symptoms.

This seems to be a cousin of Lyme disease.  Luckily it also seems to be treated the same way.  I’m not surprised a similar disease has been found due to the fact that Lyme disease is capable to hiding in the body from antibiotics.  It’s a smart disease and like many other disease and virus’, they soon mutate and become stronger due to the antibiotics.

As spring approaches, be sure to look for ticks in your area!

Lately I’ve heard discussions about hand sanitizer vs. soap and water.  Everywhere you go now in public offer free hand sanitizers in the bathrooms.  People carry around small containers of hand sanitizer with them throughout the day.  There are alcohol and nonalcoholic-based hand sanitizers along with antibacterial soaps and normal hand soap.  The public is so germ sensitive today that there are many options to control germs and it can be overwhelming.

I’ve found some information to help clear up some talk about which is better.

Soap and water should be used as a #1 priority.  Soap and water can clean off dirt and grime.  Hand sanitizer will not clean off dirt but will kill germs on the spot.  There is only a slight difference between antibacterial soap and regular soap.  When using hand sanitizer, the 60% alcohol ones will kill germs the best.  In the end, soap and water should be used before hand sanitizer.  For on the go, can’t get to soap and water, hand sanitizer is the next best thing!

 

Living in the northeast and having animals, I’ve always been aware of ticks.  Constantly checking myself and my animals for ticks has been a habit that I normally don’t think much of.  On this blog I’ve only talked about my personal experience with Lyme disease and posted information geared towards humans.  I recently brought my cat to the vet and while we were sitting there waiting, I noticed a pamphlet for Lyme disease in dogs.

Today I decided to share some info I learned for those who have animals.  Prevention in animals is the same as it is for humans.  Avoiding tick-infested areas in the spring is a good idea.  Checking for ticks and removing them correctly is also important.  There are products for animals to help with prevention, similar to flea prevention.

If you dog has been affected, it’s rare for them to have a rash or target spot.  However, if the vet tests the dog as positive there is an antibiotic of dogs.  Some symptoms include a period of lameness in the dog.  Inflammation in the joints and kidney infection are also signs.  Sensitive to touch, fever, lack of appetite, nervous system complications, and difficulty breathing are also signs to head to a vet.

Positively Positive is a great website that I visit everyday.  It’s a collection of blog posts that inspire well being, change, hope, and anything positive. Today I came across When It All Seems to be Falling Apart .  This post talks about when a crisis happens, whatever it might be, you should find a positive aspect.  Change is scary whether it be a move, a sickness, etc.  When things seem to be falling apart it could be a good thing in the end.

2012 held a lot of change for me including discovering Lyme disease.  At some points during this process I’ve asked myself why this was happening to me.  It’s like you get one step ahead in life and then fall back 5 steps.  Throughout all the sickness and doctors appointments, there were times when I shouldn’t have been able to do anything.  Some how I managed to push through and live a semi normal life along the lines of my lifestyle.

A hardship in life allows you to discover how strong of a person you really are.  Thinking back on all thats happened in the past makes me ask myself how did I find the strength to over come those obstacles.  I surprise myself everyday  with the things that I achieve.

This post reminded me to be grateful and not to worry about hardships that are happening in my life.  Every change is a learning experience and it meant to show you how strong you can be.

Dog Lyme-disease Symptoms | Treatment

Lyme disease is not only able to transmit to humans, but also can attack your pets, like your dog! The disease is caused by bacteria what we call as ‘Borrelia burgdorferi’ (it is a kind of spirochete bacteria which can spread to human and pets through a bite of deer tick). If you love your dog and you live in areas with high population of deer tick, you need to clearly understand about Lymes disease symptoms in dogs!

You may also like to read about dog arthritis treatment and congestive heart failure in dogs, before continuing!

Old Lyme is a town in the U.S where the disease discovered for the first time in 1975. And today, there are more states in the U.S that are suggested as the high population of deer tick — for more in-depth information, ask to a local health department!

How is Lyme disease transmitted to dogs?

The period from ‘spring’ to ‘autumn’ is the most active period of ticks — grass and tall brush are some of common places where they live in this period. As written before, Lyme disease in dogs is spread by deer tick or also familiar called as ‘Ixodes scapularis’.

We all agree that summer is great time to enjoy outdoor with your dog, but it also can be major factor to put you and your dog at higher risk of getting a tick bite. And like Lyme disease in humans, the disease can be spread to dog through a tick bite (especially by an infected tick).

Once your dog get an attached tick & tick bite (in many cases it attaches around ear, neck, feet, and head area), your dog has a higher risk of having Lyme disease. Dogs with high exposure of ticks might be more prone to have Lyme disease. 

Additionally, there are also other types of tick that also can affect the health of your dog. Some of them are ‘Dermacentor variabilis’ (the American tick) and ‘Rhipicephalus sanguineus’ (brown dog tick).

How to notice any tick in your dog?

You need to extra precautions during the active season of ticks. Fortunately, we can see an attached tick with our naked eyes. Check your dog regularly during warmer months!

If you notice any attached tick in your dog, be careful in removing it. If you in doubt on how to do it properly, call a pet healthcare or veterinarian if necessary to remove the attached ticks completely and prevent/eliminate future infection! Any contact with the blood of tick can spread the infection to you and your dog. Make sure the attached tick is completely removed as soon as possible, because the transmission of Lyme disease ‘from an infected tick to your dog’ usually only takes a few hours.

Dog Lyme disease symptoms

Once your dog has had Lyme disease, there is chance for your dog to experience the same condition for the second time — particularly for the recurrent lameness of the limbs which usually caused by the joint inflammation.

Dogs with Lyme disease may experience acute lameness in the legs. It usually lasts for 2-4 days, but will come back /recur days or weeks later in the same of area (the infected leg of dog) or may also infect other legs if left untreated.

Untreated Lyme disease in dog may also generate problems associated with the kidney, which then may cause dysfunction & inflammation in the glomeruli of the kidney! This condition finally will lead to the kidney failure and then will generate some symptoms, such as; fluid buildup in some areas of the body (under the skin, legs, and abdomen), weight loss (poor appetite), vomiting, thirst /increased urination, and diarrhea.

Other signs of dogs with Lyme disease may include:

1. In rare cases, dog may also experience complications associated with nervous system.


2. Swollen in the site of getting a bite tick.


3. Shortness of breath /difficult to breath. And in rare cases, problems that indicate heart abnormalities may occur.


4. Your dog is getting more sensitive if you touch!


5. And fever.

Furthermore, a tick bite is not only associated with Lyme disease. There are also other complications that can be caused by a tick bite in your dog. Some of them are skin irritation, anemia or blood loss, tick paralysis, and ehrlichiosis!

How about with the prevention and treatment?

The best idea in preventing Lyme disease is by protecting your dog to keep far away from a tick bite. There are available some products that not only effective to kill ticks but also can treat fleas. These products are usually also purposed to protect your dog from the future infection. Dogs with the environment of high tick population are usually recommended to use these topical treatments.

Talk more with a vet to find the right advices about a specific product that you should choose for your pets! Ask also to her/him for more tips to eliminate the distribution of ticks in your local environment! Don’t forget also to ask about the use of vaccine for your dog, it may help your pet in preventing Lyme disease.

How about with the treatment? Below are helpful checklists:

1. Like the treatment of Lyme disease in humans, the treatment of the disease in dogs also involves antibiotics. And antibiotics are the primer component of the treatment in any stage of Lyme disease. There are some types of antibiotics to choose from. The right one that will be given by your vet is closely dependent to the stage of the disease and the symptoms that occur. 


2. Infected dog with mild symptoms (the early stage of Lyme disease) are usually considered with outpatient treatment, unless if its condition is severe!


3. Your vet usually gives advice to keep your pet in warm & dry place. Furthermore, you need to keep monitoring the activities of your pet and the progress of its symptoms!


4. You may want to use some pain medications, but much better to avoid them until your vet recommends them!


5. How about with the dietary changes? It is usually not required, but sometimes may be recommended by your vet.

In addition, read also the previous post about Lyme disease in children!

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Reference: WebMD and PetMD
Image credit to ‘shutterstock’ for illustration

Ticks and Lyme Disease

You might recall the hell Luke went through last year as he and The Boys were walking through Ohio. They were crawling with ticks and Luke was afraid they would have to take time off the road because the problem was so serious.

The Boys are now in Connecticut, a state (as is much of the Eastern Seaboard) heavily infested with the ticks that carry Lyme disease, and Luke is rightly concerned that they’ll experience a similar situation as in Ohio.

It is a popular misconception that Lyme disease was discovered in the late 1970′s in Lyme, Connecticut. However, medical literature is rich with more than a century of writing about the condition, although most of it has been published only in Europe. The first record of a condition associated with Lyme disease dates back to 1883 in Breslau, Germany.

In 1976, the first US case of clustering of this disease was reported by researchers at the Naval Submarine Medical in Southwestern Connecticut. In 1977, physician Allen Steere et al described the first clustering of the disease misdiagnosed as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. They named this condition ‘Lyme arthritis.’ This clustering paved the way for further research into the disease.

Because of the severity of the problem The Boys were experiencing last year, they were put in touch with Vectra 3D, manufactured by Summit VetPharm, and their tick problem was solved. Luke writes, I don’t know if any of you visited Ohio last summer but by all accounts it was the worst tick season on record. It was so bad that we almost quit the walk – I picked a total of 120 ticks off of Murphy in two days and to make matters worse they brought them into the tent. All night long I was picking them off of me. I couldn’t sleep and quite literally was going mad. A vet turned us onto Vectra 3D and we haven’t had a single tick since. Summit Vet Pharm saved the walk.

Vectra 3D offers “6-way protection, repels and kills fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice, sand flies and mites. It kills 4 species of ticks, 3 species of mosquitoes, and all stages of fleas. And it repels and kills ticks that may cause Lyme Disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and a host of other diseases. Vectra is only available from licensed veterinarians” and is NOT to be applied to cats, although VetPharm does carry a similar product for cats.

For additional information, contact VetPharm at 1-800-999-0297 or surf to their web page. Read the entire label before each use, follow directions exactly, and use only on dogs or puppies over 7 weeks old. It is not to be used on animals with compromised immune systems, and check with your vet before you use it on your geriatric dog. “Do not use this product on debilitated, aged, medicated, pregnant or nursing animals, or animals known to be sensitive to pesticide products without first consulting a veterinarian.”

Vectra 3D contains the following: Dinotefuran (4.9%), Pyriproxyfen (0.44%), Permethrin (36.08%), and other ingredients (58.53%). For further information on their products at their site.

Here’s a bit more information for those of you who are interested in the science and medicine of Lyme disease.

Parasites that transmit disease are called vectors. When an infected vector, such as a tick or mosquito, bites your pet, it could make your pet very sick. Many of us in the South are more familiar with Heartworm (spread by mosquitoes) than the folks in the North and East who may have more experience with Lyme disease, but both are examples of diseases spread by vectors.

VetPharm has an excellent chart on their website showing vector borne diseases in dogs.

As you probably know, Canine Lyme disease is transmitted by deer ticks (or related ticks). What you may not know is in areas where the disease is common, up to 75% of dogs will test positive for exposure. The good news is is that it is believed that only 5-10% of these positive dogs will ever show clinical signs of disease. However, Lyme disease is present in all 48 of the mainland United States. 85% of cases in humans and dogs are found in the eastern coastal states, from Massachusetts to Virginia, 10% of cases are seen in the Upper Midwest states and 4% are in Northern California. All other states combined make up the last 1%.

These deer (and related) ticks, feed on humans, small mice, deer, and other animals that they are able to latch onto. After latching on, the deer tick takes a blood meal and in doing so passes on the Lyme disease causing spirochetes to the animal’s blood stream. The tick must remain attached for as much as 2-3 days in order to take a complete meal, and is able to transmit the spirochetes during this time. These ticks exhibit a 2 year life cycle, making certain seasons most common for new Lyme infections.

As with other diseases, Lyme disease can affect individual pets differently. Some animals may display no symptoms. Other animals may develop fever, loss of appetite, painful joints, lethargy, and vomiting. If left untreated, the spirochete may damage the eyes, heart, kidneys, and nervous system. Lyme disease has been diagnosed in humans, dogs, cats, horses, goats, and cattle. Other species may also be at risk.

Protecting Your Pet

This link has some great suggestions for protecting your pets from Lyme disease, but here are the highlights:

(1) When necessary, apply tick-killing chemicals to your animals in order to protect them from disease spreading ticks. Precautions should be taken when applying insecticides as some animals may be sensitive to the chemicals. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

(2) Take precautions to guard against ticks when entering tick habitat, such as grassy, shrubby, wooded, or beach grass areas. Cut/mow grassy areas regularly to reduce tick habitation.

(3) Conduct frequent Tick-Checks! Examine animals closely in order to detect embedded ticks.

(4) Remove attached ticks properly and promptly to reduce the chance of transmission of the LD bacterium. Place fine point tweezers around the tick’s mouthparts (the place where the tick is attached) and gently pull upwards until the tick detaches. Do not use your bare fingers! Disinfect the bite site and tweezers after removal. Wash your hands.

(5) Have your animal(s) examined as soon as possible if you notice any symptoms of disease; the sooner a disease is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.

As with all chemicals and pesticides, decide what’s best for your particular pet and situation.

While Luke was hesitant to apply any chemicals to Hudson and Murphy, he had to weigh the risks from disease against the use of chemicals. And because all three Boys were literally covered in ticks on a daily basis, Luke chose to use Vectra 3D, a product that worked when no other product did.

It’s an educated decision we all have to make, especially as we find ourselves finally approaching Spring and fun outside with our animals. Do the research, consult with your vet and friends, and decide what options are best for you.

Here’s to a wonderful and healthy Spring and Summer! Puppy up!

Please Note: Per the FTC Final Guides Governing Endorsements and Testimonials, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service. Summit VetPharm is a donor of Vectra 3D for Hudson and Murphy. The experiences with the product expressed here are those of Luke Robinson. Please consult your own veterinarian before using this or any product on or for your animal(s).

Delaware, Vermont have highest Lyme disease rates

Fall brings new potential victims into the woods.

A close-up of an adult female and nymph deer tick, which can transmit Lyme disease. At their smallest, the ticks are the size of a poppy seed.(Photo: Getty Images)

Story Highlights

• 13 states account for 96% of all the Lyme disease across the USA


• Dogs also can be carriers though they get the disease at lower rates than humans


• The key: Find any tick before it has latched onto you for a day or longer

WILMINGTON, Del. — As hunters head into the woods this fall, those in Delaware and Vermont may have to be more aware than others: The states have the highest rate of Lyme disease infection in the nation.

Infected ticks, which draw most of the nastiness from infected mice and deer, transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Untreated, the disease can cause problems in joints, the heart and the nervous system.

STORY: Pesticide doesn’t stop tick-borne diseases
STORY: New Lyme estimate is 300,000 cases a year

In the most recent figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for 2011, Delaware led the nation with more than 84 confirmed cases for every 100,000 residents. Vermont had 76 cases per 100,000 residents.

In 2012, Delaware will report 669 confirmed cases, a drop of about 200 from 2011.

But that may be only scratching the surface. The CDC said last week that recent studies point to a much higher prevalence of Lyme disease than officially has been recognized. Typically, the CDC estimated 30,000 cases a year in the United States. The true incidence probably is 10 times greater — 300,000 — CDC officials say now.

And those are just the human patients.

Dr. Jeremy Diroff, an internist at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware in New Castle, said research at the University of Pennsylvania suggests 70% to 80% of larger breed dogs — Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers, especially — will test positive for Lyme disease in this area.

Dr. Jeremy Diroff, veterinary internist at Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware in New Castle, gets a kiss from Chester, who already has tested positive for Lyme disease.(Photo: Suchat Pederson, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal)

That doesn’t mean they are suffering from the disease, but it does mean they have been exposed to it at some time in their lives, Diroff said. Lyme disease — named for Lyme, Conn., where it first was identified — can be fatal if untreated in dogs though that is not common.

The disease can be treated easily with a course of antibiotics. But damage can occur when it is not diagnosed early, and a significant debate continues about how to treat the patients whose symptoms do not go away after standard treatments.

“It’s a tremendous public health problem,” said Paula Eggers, a registered nurse in the Delaware Division of Public Health’s Bureau of Epidemiology. “The mortality rate is very low, but with such a high incidence of cases, there is an urgent need for prevention.”

That doesn’t mean keeping the kids inside, and it doesn’t mean hunters or hikers should find other pursuits.

It does mean smarter preparation and follow-up.

“It’s time for more active interest in it,” said Dr. Paul Fawcett, head of immunology laboratories for Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children here. “At times, there is an over-reaction – and that’s as bad as ignoring it. But this should be something physicians and health care providers are familiar with.”

Raising awareness

Ronald Hamlen, a retired DuPont Co. scientist, said he became “deathly ill” from Lyme disease about 10 years ago. As he recovered, he studied the disease. He has served on area committees and task forces to promote awareness and responsible policy.

Hamlen, a resident of Cecil County, Md., is among those who believe many doctors and officials do not recognize the long-term effects of the disease and minimize its significance. He is an officer in the Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, which he says keeps a list of Lyme-savvy physicians in the area. Hamlen said no Delaware doctors are on that list.

Fawcett said a debate continues on how to treat Lyme disease. A small percentage of patients have lingering symptoms even after treatment, and some consider that to be chronic Lyme disease, a position he does not agree with.

“Our studies show they are no longer infected, but probably have had an out-of-control immune response” or may have another condition, he said.

Hamlen hopes the new CDC estimates trigger more significant medical attention to the problems Lyme poses and hopes more accurate testing will be adopted.

As it is now, he said, “people remain unprotected and — even worse — unaware.”

Concern for hunters

Hunter Steve Kendus thinks he wound up with four ticks on him last week because he didn’t take his usual precautions. Before he went into the woods to hang a deer stand, he sprayed insect repellant on himself but wore shorts and a T-shirt, not the long pants and long-sleeve gear he would wear when hunting.

“A lesson to be learned,” he said.

When he goes hunting, he will prepare by spraying the repellant permethrin on his clothes. After the hunt, he’ll do a thorough skin check to try to find any ticks that found their way up his pant leg, down his shirt collar or under his sleeve.

^“It’s my theory that humans are more sensitive than all dogs are to getting symptoms of Lyme. Most people who get bitten by an infected tick are going to get sick.^”

— Dr. Jeremy Diroff, veterinarian

“One of the dangers is that some ticks are so small they’re difficult to see, especially if you are checking yourself,” he said.

He applies repellants to the coats of his dogs, too — the short-haired Hungarian vizslas he favors — and checks them for hangers-on at the end of the day.

Kendus said he never has had a dog diagnosed with Lyme disease, but the Companion Animal Parasite Council lists Delaware among 25 states as high risk on its website, with an estimated 1 in 12 dogs testing positive.

Test results can be misleading — in humans and animals. And much detective work sometimes is necessary to reach a knowledgeable conclusion.

Diroff, the veterinarian, looks for clinical signs in dogs — lethargy, fever, swollen or painful joints, a stiff gait. If the dog responds to antibiotics, he’ll be pretty sure it was Lyme disease. Untreated Lyme disease can cause a serious kidney disease in a small number of dogs.

“It’s my theory that humans are more sensitive than all dogs are to getting symptoms of Lyme,” Diroff said. “Most people who get bitten by an infected tick are going to get sick.”

Cats can get the disease, Diroff said, but he has never seen such a case.

A tick’s life

Deer ticks have three life stages, said Brian Kunkel, a specialist in entomology and wildlife ecology for the University of Delaware’s Cooperative Extension Service.

In their smallest stage, they are about a millimeter in size, the size of a poppy seed. When full grown, they are only about the size of a sesame seed.

Kunkel said he often works in the field and he often pulls 15, 20 or 30 ticks off himself when he returns. He recommends light-colored clothes so ticks are easier to spot and tucking pant legs into shoes or boots. Long sleeves, secured with rubber bands, are another defensive measure.

Ticks have to be attached to a host human or animal for 24 hours or so before Lyme disease infection is likely, which is why it is so important to check the skin for ticks soon after outdoor excursions.

Keeping yards and grounds mowed and trimmed helps remove some favored haunts for ticks, Kunkel and others said.

But no one has found a fail-safe defense yet, so deer ticks wait, hanging on a leaf or a stem, their tiny legs extended toward any passing mammal and the banquet in its bloodstream.

Top Lyme disease states

In 2011, 96% of all Lyme disease cases were reported from 13 states. Here are the top states by instances of Lyme disease per 100,000 population for 2011, the most recent year available, compared with 2002 when the government began tracking the disease in depth.

	State	2011	2002
	1. Delaware	84.6	24.0
	2. Vermont	76.0	6.0
	3. New Hampshire	67.3	20.5
	4. Maine	60.3	16.9
	5. Connecticut	56.0	133.8
	6. Wisconsin	42.2	20.0
	7. New Jersey	38.5	27.4
	8. Pennsylvania	37.2	32.3
	9. Massachusetts	27.3	28.1
	10. Minnesota	22.2	17.3
	11. Maryland	16.1	13.5
	12. New York	16.0	28.9
	13. Virginia	9.3	3.6
	Nationwide	7.8	8.2

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Early symptoms

• Red, expanding bull’s-eye rash

• Fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches and swollen lymph nodes

Prevention

• Wear insect repellant

• Check for ticks daily

• Shower soon after being outdoors

• Call your doctor if a tick bites you and you experience symptoms

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Additional information

• American Lyme Disease Foundation

• Columbia University Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center

• International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society

2013 Lyme Disease Forecast

The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) predicts the threat of Lyme Disease for dogs will be extremely high this year. See map of northeast published by CAPC. This recent notification was just sent to the veterinary community (June 18, 2013), although other organizations have notified us previously. This prediction is based on many factor which include: increase in reported cases of Lyme Disease in humans and dogs, outside temperature, precipitation, humidity, population density, deer population, and forest cover, and evidence that some of the previously used popular topical medication for tick prevention have lost their effectiveness. There is strong evidence that ticks and even fleas have the capability of developing resistance to products that are used repetitively. That is why the CDC recommend we alternate products or use newer products on the market available to veterinar ians. The topical products plus vaccination is the best way to protect your dog. Prevention is the best medicine. The newer vaccines that protect your dog against Lyme disease have proven to be safe and effective. Don’t forget, dogs can bring ticks into the house which can get on you. Slight lameness is one of the earliest signs we see in dogs with Lyme disease. It can progress to lethargy and loss of appetite and even further progress to swollen joints, pain and even kidney disease. The CAPC recommends, along with the Center for Communicable Diseases (CDC) that all dogs and cats get year-round parasite-control medications. This requires topical and oral 1 x each month preventative medications readily available from your veterinarian.

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The Lyme controversy

This morning at grand rounds, the room was more crowded than I have ever seen it. Every Friday morning, from 8-9 am, a resident or intern presents on a particular topic. People come if they are interested and if they are free. I have seen grand rounds have as few as a dozen people in attendance. There must have been at least fifty today. I have seen rounds where no one asks a question. There were about a dozen questions asked today. The resident closed her talk with a picture of boxing gloves and announced, “This is a controversial topic, so let’s keep our gloves on while we ask questions, okay?” The topic was Lyme disease.

What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease occurs in humans and dogs, though it presents differently in the two species. (Cats don’t get clinical signs of Lyme.) The disease is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is often not serious, with clinical signs like lameness, loss of appetite, and lethargy. These signs are usually resolved after a course of antibiotics, usually doxycycline.

However, Lyme is associated with Lyme nephropathy, a disease of the kidneys which can be fatal. This is a less common outcome, but a very serious one.

Lyme has been studied in laboratory dogs. However, Lyme nephropathy appears to occur most often in Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers; it is possible that they have a genetic predisposition for it. So what we have learned in laboratory dogs (who are almost exclusively Beagles) may or may not apply to retrievers.

Should I vaccinate my dog for Lyme?
This is the first part of the controversy. Different veterinarians have different answers for you.

Some say: Yes! The vaccine is very safe and effective. The possibility of Lyme nephropathy makes any risks associated with vaccination to be well worth taking.

Some say: No! We don’t actually know that Borrelia causes Lyme nephropathy. Some people suspect that it may in fact be associated with the Lyme vaccine. Moreover, 95% of dogs who are exposed to Borrelia never develop any clinical signs. In other words, they never become sick. The few who do develop clinical signs are almost always easily managed with antibiotics. Why take a chance with a vaccine, which may have side effects, when the chances that your dog will develop Lyme nephropathy are so low?

My dog is Lyme positive. Should I treat him with antibiotics?
If your dog shows signs of lameness, fever, lethargy, and has a positive Lyme titer, then definitely he should receive a course of antibiotics. (Of course, a vet will rule out any other likely diagnoses first.)

What if your dog shows no clinical signs? This is the second part of the controversy.

Some say: Yes, the dog should be treated. Otherwise, he is at risk of eventually developing Lyme nephropathy. Best not to risk that.

Some say: No. The likelihood is that the dog will never develop any clinical signs (that he will remain healthy). We don’t actually know, again, that Lyme nephropathy is actually “Lyme” nephropathy. Antibiotics are not 100% safe, and may have side effects. Administration of them may lead to antibiotic resistance. Additionally, most dogs who are treated for Lyme with antibiotics maintain a positive titer for Borrelia after treatment is concluded. In other words, their immune system continues to produce antibodies against the bacteria, suggesting that they still have Borrelia in their systems, despite treatment (though presumably lower levels of it). We may actually be breeding resistant strains of Borrelia in our own dogs by treating unneccessarily. Again, 95% of dogs who have positive Borrelia titers never develop signs of the disease.

It is possible (and probably a good idea) to monitor Lyme-positive dogs by periodically checking their urine for extra protein (“proteinuria”). This is a sign of kidney issues. Even this is up for debate, though, as the test can be expensive and it’s not clear how often it actually catches a problem.

One interesting point made during the discussion at the end of the lecture was from an IDEXX representative. She said that a veterinarian had told her that he routinely treated Lyme-positive dogs, and on re-testing found their Lyme titers to be reduced. A faculty member pointed out in response that as no control group had been tested, it is possible that Lyme-positive dogs see titer reductions after some period of time anyways.

What do I do?
My dog, Jack, tested positive for Lyme this past spring for the first time. There are indeed plenty of ticks in my back yard (though I do my best to manage them with frequent mowing). His positive Lyme titer means that he has “seen” the disease — been bitten by a tick which carries Borrelia. His immune system has responded appropriately, making antibodies to the bacteria. He shows no clinicial signs; his appetite is excellent, and he is no more lethargic than any other aging golden retriever. I had his urine tested; he has normal protein levels. I have not treated him with antibiotics.

References
I’m reporting what I learned in this morning’s talk from memory. I hope that I did not misreport any facts, but please take all statements with a grain of salt, as I have only completed two years of veterinary school.

For more information, see:

• 
  Consensus statement on Lyme from the ACVIM (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine)


• Q&A with a veterinarian about Lyme


• 
  Information page about Lyme from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University

Dogs, Cats and Lymes Disease Symptoms and Communication

Lymes disease is competent to touch particular pets differently. Bound pets show no symptoms, lymes disease symptoms various others march feverishness, poignant joints, ejection, tiredness, and amount of craving. The spirochaete may change uneasy group, spirit, eyes, and kidneys of pets, if their Lymes disease is not bound in minute.

Cats:

Cats are prospective to demo walking difficulties, red of craving, eye hurt, uncommon respiration, and fever. Several cats infected with Lymes disease also pretence panoptic symptoms.

Dogs:

Dogs diagnosed with Lymes disease may be stuporous, and can person feverishness ranging between 103°F – 105°F, along with beggarly craving. They may also undergo gameness. Disposition disorders, lymes disease symptoms loser, action, and embarrassment are separate Lymes disease symptoms seen in dogs.

From my individualized pet’s live, I can say that dogs are septic to Lymes bacterium, but they do not show open Lymes disease symptoms. They also impart the unvaried locution for the disease as of humans.

Protective Measures:

In benignity with my individualized see and explore, beneath mentioned are fated deterrent measures that you can rely on to improve your pets fulfill withdraw from Lymes disease contagion:

o Allot tick-terminating chemicals on your pet’s surface to protect them from Lymes disease broad contractable ticks. lymes disease symptoms can use dips and sprays containing pyrethrins and permethrins to negative ticks on horses, cats, and dogs. Bring the employment very carefully, as individual pets are sensitized or are photosensitive to these sprays and chemicals.

o You can use safe handwear during the remedy knowledge. Mark collars testament also aid to demoralize ticks from attacking your pets. Assure that you never refer duple repellents on your pet, because a coinage of different chemicals could piss your pet real displeased.

o Assure to pass your pet against ticks when admitting in a beat environment, much as beach marihuana, silvan, lymes disease symptoms, or sedgelike areas. Tidy grasslike areas oftentimes to disparage stitch habitation, which is the set crusade of Lymes disease.

o Aver help of the surround with insecticides witting specifically for ticks. One decisive artefact that I would equal to add is to refrain infectious water, as experts human advisable to spray insecticides at small 75 feet departed grade a healed or any crapulence element body.

o Make regular tick-checks and investigate your pets closely to bit any embedded ticks, which can seriously affect your pet with Lymes disease incident.

Eventually, my adulthood tip for you lymes disease symptoms to consult your veterinary to obtain an expedient handling for your pet’s Lymes disease