Dog -Lymes disease..

[Dakota]

I have an appointment at the vet but they cannot take me until noon. Although I'm on call for any cancellation between now and then.

My 11 lb. JRT mix woke up this morning and cannot stand on her back legs - no fever - joints may be slightly swollen - although they don't appear to be tender to the touch. She ate a piece of turkey and doesn't appear to have lost her appetite. When she saw me open the fridge, she jumped off the chair and just plopped down on the floor... wanting the turkey but couldn't get up on her back legs to get it. We pulled a dotted tick off of her a week ago - which surprised me because she had been treated.

My question that the vet tech couldn't answer is how quickly could a dog display symptoms, provided this is what it is... could it be as quickly as a week ago?

She was playing ball last night for hours and hours - running and playing (which is normal for her).... this seems so sudden.... unlike the time she ate the piece of wood, which she wouldn't eat anything... this is just different.

 

[TurboK9]

I have an appointment at the vet but they cannot take me until noon. Although I'm on call for any cancellation between now and then.

My 11 lb. JRT mix woke up this morning and cannot stand on her back legs - no fever - joints may be slightly swollen - although they don't appear to be tender to the touch. She ate a piece of turkey and doesn't appear to have lost her appetite. When she saw me open the fridge, she jumped off the chair and just plopped down on the floor... wanting the turkey but couldn't get up on her back legs to get it. We pulled a dotted tick off of her a week ago - which surprised me because she had been treated.

My question that the vet tech couldn't answer is how quickly could a dog display symptoms, provided this is what it is... could it be as quickly as a week ago?

She was playing ball last night for hours and hours - running and playing (which is normal for her).... this seems so sudden.... unlike the time she ate the piece of wood, which she wouldn't eat anything... this is just different.

If you do not know for sure how long the tick was attached, you really shouldn't assume it's only been a week since she could have contracted Lymes. Also, if she had one tick, she could have had several, that were killed by the treatment and droped off... but not necessarily before attaching for more than 24 hours and transmitting Lymes.... Both my dogs are vaccinated because you never really know, unless you thoroughly inspect the dog evry time it comes in the house. I know, unrealistic of course.

Anyway, it isn't an 'emergency' if she isn't showing advanced signs. They'll probably run a quick lab test and give her doxicycline <sp>. 3/4 weeks and she'll be good if it's lymes.

 

[ICit]

If you do not know for sure how long the tick was attached, you really shouldn't assume it's only been a week since she could have contracted Lymes. Also, if she had one tick, she could have had several, that were killed by the treatment and droped off... but not necessarily before attaching for more than 24 hours and transmitting Lymes.... Both my dogs are vaccinated because you never really know, unless you thoroughly inspect the dog evry time it comes in the house. I know, unrealistic of course.

Anyway, it isn't an 'emergency' if she isn't showing advanced signs. They'll probably run a quick lab test and give her doxicycline <sp>. 3/4 weeks and she'll be good if it's lymes.

True... That is if it is Lyme. Fever is something the dog usually presents with when they do have Lyme. How do you know you pup does not have a fever? did you take her temp? Shifting lameness, or lameness is common also... loss of appetite is common also.
There are several things such as a slipped or compressed disk that could cause your pup to lose use of the back legs.
Joint swelling could be something more serious! (Edema)

Blood work and a good exam will get ya on track!

Even on flea and tick prevention… they can still get Lyme. The shot is recommend…it helps!

 

[godsbutterfly]

My dog had lymes and it seemed she got ill suddenly. She stopped eating and went and "hid" to just lay around. She also ran a fever. The vet gave her the doxycycline and she bounced back pretty quickly.

 

[ArkRescue]

There is actually a Lyme Preventative Vaccination for dogs? I wasn't offered that at the vet's office hmmm.

Both my dogs are vaccinated because you never really know, unless you thoroughly inspect the dog evry time it comes in the house. I know, unrealistic of course.

 

[ginwoman]

There is actually a Lyme Preventative Vaccination for dogs? I wasn't offered that at the vet's office hmmm.

yes, my vet recommends it.

 

[ICit]

There is actually a Lyme Preventative Vaccination for dogs? I wasn't offered that at the vet's office hmmm.

Yes...

Lyme vaccine is an immunization that helps prevent Lyme disease from being passed to your dog. Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete bacterial strain called Borrelia burgdorferi that passes to your dog through the bite of certain types of ticks.

Lyme Vaccine
There are several Lyme vaccines on the market, the majority of which only adhere to the A variety of outer protein surfaces (OSP) in order to produce antibodies and kill the bacteria. A newer vaccine that adheres to both A and C varieties of OSP, produces the appropriate antibodies and allows the vaccine to kill the Borrelia at varying times during the infection process. The vaccine kills the spirochetes in the tick’s mid-gut, as they travel from the tick’s mid-gut to the salivary glands and as they enter the dog’s system, providing multiple opportunities for the bacteria to be killed.

Argument Against Lyme Vaccination
While it may seem that vaccination would be an ideal situation, many veterinarians argue against vaccinating for Lyme disease. Because the vaccine promotes activity in your dog’s immune system, it can cause adverse reactions to the shot. The vaccine can also prompt an incurable variety of Lyme Disease to develop. Compare these risks to the fact that Lyme disease can be effectively treated with an aggressive round of doxycycline. Treatment typically lasts a month or more, based upon the current health of the dog. While a dog can live with Lyme disease essentially symptom-free, it is still important to treat with doxycycline. As with most diseases, the earlier the disease is detected, the easier it will be to treat.

Testing for Lyme Disease
Your veterinarian can test for Lyme disease using the C6 SNAP test, a diagnostic tool that not only tests for the C6 antibodies to Lyme disease, but also tests for ehrlichia canis, another tick borne disease, and heartworm disease. Once the disease is confirmed, an appropriate schedule for doxycycline treatment can be established, not only treating the Lyme disease, but also treating other tick borne co-infections.

Tick Prevention
You can take a proactive approach to preventing ticks from biting and infecting your dog. The following methods can help keep your dog and his surroundings tick-free.

Use a method of flea and tick control for your dog. There are a variety of flea and tick products, both topical and internal, that can make your dog less attractive to ticks.
Keep your yard and trees trimmed so sunlight can reach the ground. Ticks like living in these areas because the long grass makes it easier to pass onto a host animal.
Treat your yard with a tick killing spray to get the tick population under control. Because ticks don’t crawl, this will keep the tick population down unless another animal brings it into the yard.
While Lyme disease can be passed to your dog, Lyme vaccine typically is not recommended unless you live in an area with a high tick population. Treatment for Lyme disease is easy and relatively inexpensive, compared to the complications your dog is exposed to if vaccinated against the disease.

 

[Cowgirl]

I'd also ask the vet about tick paralysis and erlichia.

 

[jp2854]

yes, my vet recommends it.

yup my vets recommends it too. she also recommends i think its called the lepto something or other shot so if the dog drinks out of a puddle outside and a racoon or another animal pees in it she doesn't end up getting sick. my vet also recommends getting the bordetella (sp) shot every year too. there are also several other ones she gets yearly too can't remember all of them.

 

[ICit]

yup my vets recommends it too. she also recommends i think its called the lepto something or other shot so if the dog drinks out of a puddle outside and a racoon or another animal pees in it she doesn't end up getting sick. my vet also recommends getting the bordetella (sp) shot every year too. there are also several other ones she gets yearly too can't remember all of them.

That is in most of the yearly "distemper" shots.
and if the vet does not include it in the "7way" shot .. they do it as a separate shot. Most small puppies need the Lepto to be done later as a separate shot due to them having a reaction to it!



NOT every dog need to have a bordatella shot done! Only if they kennel the dog, or have the dog groomed. That is not a necessary vaccine!

And really peep…. You need to think about how much we are vaccinating our dog… we are going over board!! Really no reason for it! Do Lepto every year and not the "distemper".. Titer test instead… save your dogs immune system!

 

[Cowgirl]

I don't give the Lyme vaccine. I don't give lots of vaccines the vets recommend because most just aren't needed.

 

[ICit]

I don't give the Lyme vaccine. I don't give lots of vaccines the vets recommend because most just aren't needed.

I didnt give the Lyme until last year... my guys are out in the woods ALL the time. So anything to give them added protection.
I dont vacc after two years of age.... with the excetion to rabies and Lepto because the titer does not hold for more than a year.. and my guys are exposed to getting it more than "house hold pets"
Other than that.. I send out a titer test for my guys to make sure their immune syst. is working correctly! If a titer drops... then I will vacc for that!

if you vacc...year after year after year...you just break down the dogs immune syst. and open up a can of worms!! Its the vets money maker... SHOTS!!!

 

[TurboK9]

I didnt give the Lyme until last year... my guys are out in the woods ALL the time. So anything to give them added protection.
I dont vacc after two years of age.... with the excetion to rabies and Lepto because the titer does not hold for more than a year.. and my guys are exposed to getting it more than "house hold pets"
Other than that.. I send out a titer test for my guys to make sure their immune syst. is working correctly! If a titer drops... then I will vacc for that!

if you vacc...year after year after year...you just break down the dogs immune syst. and open up a can of worms!! Its the vets money maker... SHOTS!!!

the only 'regular' vaccine my dogs get is rabies, because it's the law... and for good reason

Anything else, my dogs get a titer test first if possible. Vaccinating yearly when not necessary is now believed by some to contribute to other health problem, not the least of which may be certain types of cancer. besaides, it's not like we vaccinate ourselves yearly, except for maybe the flu... I mean, when was the last time you have a polio or measles vaccine? When you were 3? Think about that Yet we do our dogs annually regardless of the levels of anitbodies they may or may not have?

EDIT: I either need skinnier fingers or bigger keys. Or to stop typing forum posts while simultaneously writing javascript code on another keyboard. {Ima.idiot}

 

[ArkRescue]

I've heard that ... I am researching the negative aspect of the Lyme Vaccine, and I am thinking I won't give it since this dog is very sensitive to things ..... I'd not want to add anything to his system right now as I am trying to isolate his food allergy (if he has one).

What gets us in trouble is we are expected to get the Rabies done on a specified schedule regardless of what the blood titer shows. So far I believe all my dog has had is Rabies and Distemper vaccines.

if you vacc...year after year after year...you just break down the dogs immune syst. and open up a can of worms!! Its the vets money maker... SHOTS!!!

 

[TurboK9]

I've heard that ... I am researching the negative aspect of the Lyme Vaccine, and I am thinking I won't give it since this dog is very sensitive to things ..... I'd not want to add anything to his system right now as I am trying to isolate his food allergy (if he has one).

What gets us in trouble is we are expected to get the Rabies done on a specified schedule regardless of what the blood titer shows. So far I believe all my dog has had is Rabies and Distemper vaccines.

Watch the Leptospirosis too.

 

[ICit]

I've heard that ... I am researching the negative aspect of the Lyme Vaccine, and I am thinking I won't give it since this dog is very sensitive to things ..... I'd not want to add anything to his system right now as I am trying to isolate his food allergy (if he has one).

What gets us in trouble is we are expected to get the Rabies done on a specified schedule regardless of what the blood titer shows. So far I believe all my dog has had is Rabies and Distemper vaccines.

Rabies it LAW.... and if you try for a titer on rabies so you dont have to vacc.. .you have to have a DAYMMMMM good reason to back it up! Cause if that dog bites someone... you and the vet could go to court!

As far as allergies. how old is the dog, kind of dog,... I wouldnt worry too much giving the lyme vacc... but would find out which brand the vet has prior to giving ... if the dog is exposed to ticks frequently.. I would do it! Better than giving doxy for a month

 

[ArkRescue]

Okay saw this online:

Canine Leptospirosis

Canine Leptospirosis:

Current Issues on Infection and Vaccination

Leptospirosis, a contagious disease affecting both animals and humans and spread by infection with a bacterial pathogen called Leptospira, may result in chronic liver and kidney disease and fatality in the dog. Over the past 30 years, preventative vaccination against two of the most common Leptospires, L. canicola and L. icterohaemorrhagiae, have nearly eradicated clinical disease associated with these strains among the inoculated population. Though not without potential side effects associated with allergic reactions to inoculant in a small number of dogs, the risks of not vaccinating for Leptospirosis once far outweighed risks of vaccine-reaction. In recent years, however, new outbreaks of Leptospirosis have been reported in the population of vaccinated dogs. Clinical evidence now suggests that these new cases are associated with the once, less-common Leptospires for which current vaccines do not protect against. In light of these findings, the process of vaccinating dogs with the current Leptospirosis vaccines is being seriously questioned.

Watch the Leptospirosis too.

 

[ArkRescue]

That's what my old vet said - a titer is only good for the day it was done - period. BUT many people are fearful of doing Rabies too often. There is a BIG controversy, as I'm sure you know, over vaccination frequency, especially Rabies.

He is approx. 2 (vet estimate said he was 18 mo. when I got him) and is an American Bulldog Mix. I got him at the shelter last Fall.

Rabies it LAW.... and if you try for a titer on rabies so you dont have to vacc.. .you have to have a DAYMMMMM good reason to back it up! Cause if that dog bites someone... you and the vet could go to court!

As far as allergies. how old is the dog, kind of dog,... I wouldnt worry too much giving the lyme vacc... but would find out which brand the vet has prior to giving ... if the dog is exposed to ticks frequently.. I would do it! Better than giving doxy for a month

 

[TurboK9]

Rabies it LAW.... and if you try for a titer on rabies so you dont have to vacc.. .you have to have a DAYMMMMM good reason to back it up! Cause if that dog bites someone... you and the vet could go to court!

As far as allergies. how old is the dog, kind of dog,... I wouldnt worry too much giving the lyme vacc... but would find out which brand the vet has prior to giving ... if the dog is exposed to ticks frequently.. I would do it! Better than giving doxy for a month

Well gosh you don't have to be so rabid about it!!

 

[ICit]

Well gosh you don't have to be so rabid about it!!

hate to deal with animals that are not UTD on it... puts me in a bad spot because of owners ignorance