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Lyme disease

8K views 31 replies 21 participants last post by  hotel4dogs 
#1 ·
It's been quite some time since I last visited this forum. I just spent the last couple of hours viewing the last few day's threads and it was somewhat like homecoming. It was good to see so many of the old names still in the game. ( hey Ken, freeze any hot water lately?) And it's always good to get acquainted with the newbies. I wish you all good luck in your journey.
I post this as a heads-up. My 10 year old female golden, SH, has always been a lady at the table. She would often skip a feeding (fed twice a day with Iams) but this past winter I noticed a little weight loss so we started sweetening the pot a little with some broth or what have you. Recently, she began vomiting from time to time, but it was not her normal MO. We went with the burger and rice routine and phased in a different food and got her to the vet a couple of weeks ago to address it. This is also the time of the year that she gets her annual grease, lube and filter. When they ran the blood screen for heart worm they also checked for Lyme disease and she tested positive. They put her on Doxycyline Hyr. right away and drew more blood to run the titer at Cornell and it came back at about 6800.
We are in Monroe County, upstate NY. From the time she was a year old for probably 5 or 6 years we used Advantix from April through November, then for whatever reason didn't use it for a few years. No fleas, no ticks, no problems - until now. It's not a problem that you want. Our vet said that confirmed cases were up dramatically over the past.
Now, if I hadn't made myself a stranger here, I would probably have known that. Last spring I played host to a couple of the demonic little bustards, something that was never common in our neighborhood and I think Daisy picked hers up in November on the hiking trails here in town. Regardless, protect your pups. They depend on you, and I feel like I let mine down.
Ya'll have a good 2012 season!
Hoping for a happy outcome regards.
 
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#2 ·
I hope your girl will be feeling better soon. Doxy seems to work quickly. Lyme Disease can be a nasty bugger. 10 years ago in Vermont Lyme disease, and ticks, wasn't even on the radar. Within the last ten years it has taken hold and is now an epidemic. Three of my four dogs have tested psotive for Lyme but all have been asymptomatic. We have used Frontline religiously but now only use it at those times of the year when ticks are most prevalent, like now. Don't really believe the stuff works.

With your girl, at ten years old, you start to watch for changes in behavior and don't rule out all manner of ailments. We watch all of ours closely just to nip a problem in the bud. Knock on wood, they've been few and far between.

Good luck!
 
#3 ·
I recently had one with anaplasmosis (another tick borne disease). And he was on meds all year round, so no need to beat yourself up...

I will say that i also have had one with lymes, and have done quite a bit of reading about TBDs. I tend to give the doxy a little "longer and stronger" like 400 mg for 2 weeks, 800 for 2 weeks, 400 for 2 weeks, then every Friday, Saturday and sunday for the next 3-4 weeks (term it "Pulsing" on the weekends). I've not had recurrences of the symptoms this way. When doing just the 10 day protocol, I've had friends with recurrences.

just a thought. Don't know what TBDs are like in your area- they are quite prevalent in Wisconsin...
 
#6 ·
recurring lameness due to inflamed joints (mine did not exhibit this), Walking with an arched back, lethargic, weight loss to name just a few. Untreated, or treated too late can to kidney failure. If you Google it, you'll see many different symptoms explained better than I can. Routine inspection will reveal if your dog is playing host to ticks. (Same with yourself). If you get nailed, a halo will appear around the site of the bite. If you pull any off of yourself, it would be wise to put the tick in a little container filled with rubbing alcohol just in case you need to access it. A tick can be carrying the bacteria, but not pass it on to its host. It's something we just didn't have to be concerned with when I was a kid.
That's why I give vets so much credit. Their patients can't tell them what is wrong. In a young dog lameness can mean panosteitis too, as well as a number of other ailments. Seek the help of the pros.
 
#8 ·
My 7 yr old YLF was just diagnosed with it this weekend.

Went out shed hunting with my wife and the dog two weeks ago. Didn't think anything of ticks since it was so early in the year so we failed to check the dog over when we got home.

About a week went by and we found one on her about the size of a cracked sunflower seed. Checked her over really good and didn't find anymore and applied a fresh dose of Frontline. The next day we were training and the wind pushed her hair just the right way on the way back with a bumper and I saw a dark spot. Sure enough it was another one. Checked her over again and found another one under her collar about the same size as the other two.

Gave her a bath and found one more.

This was crazy. I have only found two growing on her in her whole life and to find 4 in one week was crazy.

Then about 3 days later we noticed she wasn't excited when we can home like she normally was and had her tail between her legs ect. She was laying on the floor shivering (which she does sometimes) Didin't think too much of it until the next morning when she wouldn't eat her food. Which was really weird. That night when I got home from work she wouldn't eat again unless I fed it to her by hand. I got her to eat all her food though.

That night I was meeting some friends in town so I put her in the kennel until my wife came home from work a few hours later. My wife came home and let her out and she couldn't get up on her back legs (looked alot like a lot of 12-13yr old dogs look) and was walking with her back arched and tripping over her own feet because she couldn't lift them high enough. She also had this little cough deal like she had something stuck in her throat and would dry heave.

My wife called the emergency vet line (after some quick online searches about lymes disease) and they said bring her in tommorow morning. Brought her in saturday morning and bingo lymes.

We have been giving her the pills since saturday afternoon and tonight is tuesday and she is already back to normal. Running, jumping, eating and acting all normal.

She is on 100 MG of doxycycline twice daily and a 1/2 tablet of Rimadyl twice daily.

Hopefully it all clears up well.
 
#9 ·
A good friends lab was just diagnosed with Lyme. His dogs symptoms were dramatic. Extreme joint soreness, a high energy dog that went to zero drive in a day. Dog was on Revolution. I am not familiar with Revolution and it's claims. He thought he had his bases covered. As a result I am looking into vaccinating for Lyme. Neither of the vets that I use has ever offered it.
 
#10 ·
I have always worried about Lyme and I live in the Rochester, NY/Souther Tier area also.

Now I am getting worried, I have seen more lameness in my 10 year old CLF, esp. in her rear end. I was thinking it was just age, as if she wants to retrieve, she "comes alive" so to speak. I have always vaccinated my dogs against Lyme but I think I forgot too last year. Does anyone know if you miss a year do you have to do the booster again? (I asked this same question on the other thread also.

Earlene
 
#11 ·
Earlene, since acquiring this problem, I've become internet trained and I'd have to say that the jury is still out on this one. First, I'd turn to my vet (because I have faith in mine). Many vets do not believe in vaccinating for Lyme disease for various reasons, but if you are using it, a booster would be required. From what we've done in the past and what we've learned, I lean towards Advantix with no vaccination and prayer. You might want to get her checked out because the symptoms vary greatly. I'm in Webster & in the phone book if you want to give me a call, feel free. Good luck!
 
#12 ·
I have a 2 year old lab that was diagnosed with lymes yesterday. He has had the vaccine since he was a pup. I also use frontline. I was shocked when he was diagnosed. He shows no signs. The vet has put him on Doxycycline for 30 days. We are hoping for the best. After researching this disease I don't know if there is a 100% effective way to stop it. All you can do is use all the precautions before heading to the woods. The strange thing is I live in a area where deer ticks are not that common. Hopefully after the Doxy. we will never see any signs but it will always be on my mind. Do what you can to protect your dogs and yourselves.
 
#14 ·
I vaccinate dogs (for years, Ft. Dodge earlier, now re-combiteck) and myself (I read that the human vaccine is no longer available) and treat topically.

But the NOVEMBER cases amaze me (in cold climates). And I've been extending the topicals...

So far my mutts and I have avoided it, but some canine and human friends haven't been so lucky.

Sorry about your pooch.
 
#17 ·
It would be great to have some vets give info here, but I believe there are several different tests for Lyme, at least one of which can differentiate between vaccinated dogs and dogs that actually have the disease. We live in southern GA and upstate NY and have given Lyme vaccine for ages, so far with good results. Fingers crossed.
 
#18 ·
First off I don't think Lyme vaccine is a safe vaccine to give to your dog. Second giving it will make the test come back positive. Funny you tell the vet you gave your dog the vaccine They want to test for it. Leaves my head scratching. If you do give the vaccine don't mix it with other vaccine for at least a month apart. These cocktails aren't Safe . Just check online and watch some videos of some reactions to them. Legs are number one side effect but heart,kidney,liver can be effected also.
 
#19 ·
I live in central NY, just outside Syracuse and started to using the topical 10 months out of the year. For periodic breaks in training I take my dogs on "swamp romps". I was finding ticks on the dogs in early March with snow still on the ground. It's gotten crazy.
 
#20 · (Edited)
My boy was Lyme positive last summer (despite using the spot on religiously). We treated him with doxy and he is now testing negative. I have learned a lot about Lyme.
1. Some of the tests do differentiate between vaccine induced antibodies and disease induced antibodies. Check with your vet to see which they are running.
2. Most doses of doxy are too little, too short. We gave him 300 mg/day (he weighs 67 pounds) for 6 weeks. Quite a few vets give higher doses than that.
3. There is NO REASON TO VACCINATE A DOG WHO HAS BEEN LYME POSITIVE and it may be counter-indicated, in fact, the vaccine itself maybe be counter-indicated.
(The biggest threat to retrievers from Lyme disease is nephritis. This is believed to be caused by antibodies to the Lyme causing chronic inflammation within the kidneys. The problem is, they don't know which antibodies are causing the inflammation, and it is *possible* it's the antibodies that are formed when the dog is exposed to the vaccine. Therefore, repeated vaccination may cause the same Lyme Nephritis that we are seeking to avoid by preventing Lyme disease in the first place. This is why the jury is out on whether or not the vaccination should be given, and most diplomates of the ACVIM don't recommend it).
4. Any dog who has EVER tested Lyme positive should have a urine protein test done at least every 6 months, some vets recommend every 3 months. See item 3 above.
Ticks suck.

edit to add: here's a link to the ACVIM position paper: http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/vhc/documents/LymeconsstmtACVIM.pdf
 
#21 ·
We've lived in tick country for 16 years and knock on wood no Lyme. Lady with Labs we train with has had it in all her dogs. Our vet believes in Lyme vaccination and her vet does not! We start them as pups and then yearly. Have used Vectra and Frontline Plus. Both are waterproof to some extent. It is wise to put them on and keep dog dry for 24-48 hours before swimming first time. I understand price of Doxycline has gone up quite a bit.
 
#22 ·
We have a 5 year old Golden who has a 'tick born'disease. We were out of the country when he got sick about 3 years ago. He hadworked in a hunt test in Arkansas in March of that year. After multiple phone calls to us it wasclear he was in real trouble. Thevet/kennel staff finally took him to an emergency clinic in Overland Park, KSas they were unable to diagnose the problem and he was getting worse. The vet was able to keep him alive until wegot home a week late, but not much more than that. They were not able to diagnosis what waswrong; he was very weak, not eating, dehydrated, etc. We immediately took himto another vet, and they quickly diagnosed the problem and put him on doxy for12 mo. He improved within a few days and was recovered within a week. Very costly lesson about choosing good vet’sand boarding facilities (into the $1,000 of dollars)

NOTE: This year this same dog started showing the same symptoms in January. Hewas stressed about a new puppy we had brought into our home and he had to beboarded for a few days prior to picking up the new pup. Our vet told us thistick disease can reoccur once the dog has been exposed. So back on doxy for 90days, and he was fine in a few days. This is nasty stuff and I read somewhereon this site that the only real way to protect your dog is to check them forticks after all field work, all other means help, but checking them is best!

 
#23 ·
I've been told the test for dogs who have received a lyme vaccine is the Idexx test which can rule out a false positive. Unlike the normal lyme test which can be done at the same time as a yearly heartworm test, the Idexx test must be sent away for lab analysis.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I belong to a list called "TICK-L". Search the internet for it. Lots of knowledgeable people on the list. You can search the list for info, I signed up for the digest. Some of the posts get out of hand and a little annal, but there is alot of good info available on it.

Personally I believe tick borne diseases need to be taken very seriously. My dogs have had both lyme and anaplasmosis. I treat agressively - 10mg/pound, i.e. 700mg/day for a 70 pound dog (350 in AM & 350in PM with food) for 60 days. Pound the disease, kill it, don't let it get a foot hold. I believe it affects every system in the animal, muscles, joints, internal organs(kidneys), brain,etc. It does not go away without agressive treatment IMO and can reoccur months or years later in various ailments.

Tick Links


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The TICK-L Links Page. This page lists some Web sites which may be of interest. ... Jasper's Canine Tick-borne Disease Information page, by Anne McGuire ...
 
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