by Katrina Murphy

Created on: May 21, 2008   Last Updated: February 10, 2009

Dogs (as well as humans) contract Lyme disease, also known as the Great Imitator for its similarity to other illnesses, when an attached deer tick transmits the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. The illness is painful and incapacitating to the infected host, but fortunately, canine Lyme disease treatments are simple and inexpensive when we catch symptoms at early onset.

Canine Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose; therefore, recognizing the transmission habits, symptoms, treatments and preventative measures are vital and equally important to the health of our dogs.

The Basics of Lyme Transmission

Blame it all on the white footed mouse. This mouse is a carrier of the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, which transmits to young ticks when they attach at an early stage of life. The young ticks become carriers of the disease and silently latch onto our dogs, or us, when they are ready for the next seasonal meal, thus infecting our blood with the bacterium.

Young ticks are often the size of a pencil dot, so they are hardly visible under the fur of our dogs. The consensus for time of transmission is that the infected tick must feed for 24 to 48 hours to transmit the disease to its host. However, some suggest this may only take 5 hours. Always do a thorough check for ticks on your dog, and yourself, after spending time outdoors, especially in endemic areas.

If your dog has Lyme disease, you cannot catch the disease from your dog, or vice versa. Lyme disease transmits directly from one carrier to the host and is not contagious between infected animals.

Recognizing the Symptoms

Abby, our 10-month-old hound mix, made a late night visit to the veterinarian after a day of lying around and refusing to eat. The symptoms seemed mild at first, but the vet visit showed a fever of 105, swollen lymph nodes and deep lethargy. We discussed all of the endless possibilities and the outlook was dim, but everyone hoped it was an ordinary virus. Our only options were to treat the fever and keep her well hydrated until finding the right diagnosis.

Two days later, Abby started limping, ever so slightly, in one front leg. The limp was barely noticeable, came and went throughout a few hours. This is when we knew she had contracted Lyme disease and immediately started treatment with help from the vet.

The symptoms of canine Lyme disease are vague and often appear as an autoimmune disorder. Common symptoms are fever, depression, lethargy, loss of appetite, joint pain or swelling, and limping.

The disease

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