For most people, having a pet is like having a child. They take care of their pets, provide them all their needs, and love them truly. They also protect them from all the harmful elements in the environment. They get sick worried when their pets catch an infection or illness. They are afraid to lose them.
However, taking care of pets, especially dogs can be very difficult. When our pets get sick, we can’t ask them what’s wrong or how do they feel because they would just bark at us. That’s what veterinarians are good for — they speak for our pets by regular examination and check-ups.
Canine Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is one of the diseases that both humans and dogs can develop. In dogs, it is called canine Lyme disease. The difference is that it is much more difficult to diagnose Lyme disease in animals. In humans, the usual first sign of this illness is a rash. Animals, especially dogs, do not develop this kind of rash. What makes it more difficult is that Lyme disease is not one of the first diseases that the veterinarian would check for. Most symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs are the same with many other common ailments. This makes it hard to detect.
Signs & Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Other signs of Lyme disease in dogs include sudden loss of appetite. Some affected dogs just stop eating.Some run incredibly high fevers. They also look like they are always in pain. Well, they are. They are always limping and their lymph nodes on the affected limb are swelling. Other dogs become lame and find their infected legs completely useless. What is more frustrating is that these signs sometimes appear, disappear, and reappear later on. It’s hard to know when your dog is really alright or when they are really infected. Some symptoms can also show up even a year after they got infected.
Diagnosing Lyme Disease
Blood test is the most common way of diagnosis. However, if it’s been so long since your dog had contracted this disease, confirming that it is Lyme disease can be a difficult task.
Once your dog tested positive for Burrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, the veterinarian will prescribe an appropriate antibiotic like doxycycline. Your dog should be under antibiotic treatment for at least three weeks.