How to Recognize Lyme's Disease in Dogs
Consider the incubation period., Spot general signs of ill health., Check your dog for lameness., Monitor the lameness for three to four days., Check to see if your dog has enlarged lymph nodes.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider the incubation period.
The incubation period for Lyme's disease is 2 to 5 months.
This means that it could take your dog several months to develop symptoms after he has been bit.If you find a tick on your dog, remove it and then monitor your dog for symptoms over the next several months. -
Step 2: Spot general signs of ill health.
Dogs with Lyme's disease develop several non-specific signs of ill health.
These signs include:
Fever:
A dog's temperature is normally
37.9 to
39.0 Celsius.
A dog is considered feverish if his temperature is above
39.5 Celsius.
The dog may radiate an unusual amount of heat from his body.
His paws and nose may feel hot to the touch.
He may pant, even in a cool room, and his coat may look dull.
Anorexia:
This includes a loss of appetite.
A dog that does not eat for several days is in no immediate danger, other than losing weight, but it is a significant general sign of ill health, especially in a normally hungry dog.
Depression:
This means the dog loses interest in things he would normally find exciting.
This means he chooses to lay in his bed, rather than go for a walk or come running to greet you when you come in from work. , Lyme's disease has a strong link to lameness.
The Borrelia may grow in your dog’s joints or muscles.
When this happens, your dog’s body will begin to fight the invasion, which will cause the area to become inflamed.
This inflammation can lead to soreness, pain, and lameness.
While lameness can occur for reasons other than Lyme's disease (such as arthritis, infection, sprains, and cancer), the symptoms commonly associated with Lyme's disease-induced lameness include:
Acute lameness:
This is another way of saying a sudden-onset lameness.
Your dog may have been fine the previous day, but wakes up the next feeling dull, feverish, and with marked lameness in one or more legs.
Joint Pain:
The affected joint(s) become swollen and warm.
They are also tender or painful when touched.
If in doubt, compare your dog’s lame leg to his other corresponding leg.
The lame leg may look larger or feel hotter than the other.
Walking Stiffly:
If the joints in the spine are affected, your dog may walk stiffly with his back hunched and arched.
When you stroke his back, he may flinch as if in pain. , The lameness caused by Lyme’s disease often lasts for only 3 to 4 days, and responds readily to antibiotic therapy with oxytetracycline antibiotics.
If left untreated the lameness may resolve but the dog is at risk of going on to develop later clinical signs of the disease (this is discussed in the next section). , When the body mounts an immune response, the lymph nodes may become flooded with cells ready to fight infection, which causes them to physically enlarge.
It is difficult for untrained people to feel these lymph nodes in their dogs, but if they are swollen you may be able to see quail's eggs sized bumps under the skin.
When you run fingers over the bumps you will feel a smooth, round swelling.
Common sites of lymph node enlargement are the prescapular (in front of the left and right shoulders) and popliteal (at the back of the left and right knees). -
Step 3: Check your dog for lameness.
-
Step 4: Monitor the lameness for three to four days.
-
Step 5: Check to see if your dog has enlarged lymph nodes.
Detailed Guide
The incubation period for Lyme's disease is 2 to 5 months.
This means that it could take your dog several months to develop symptoms after he has been bit.If you find a tick on your dog, remove it and then monitor your dog for symptoms over the next several months.
Dogs with Lyme's disease develop several non-specific signs of ill health.
These signs include:
Fever:
A dog's temperature is normally
37.9 to
39.0 Celsius.
A dog is considered feverish if his temperature is above
39.5 Celsius.
The dog may radiate an unusual amount of heat from his body.
His paws and nose may feel hot to the touch.
He may pant, even in a cool room, and his coat may look dull.
Anorexia:
This includes a loss of appetite.
A dog that does not eat for several days is in no immediate danger, other than losing weight, but it is a significant general sign of ill health, especially in a normally hungry dog.
Depression:
This means the dog loses interest in things he would normally find exciting.
This means he chooses to lay in his bed, rather than go for a walk or come running to greet you when you come in from work. , Lyme's disease has a strong link to lameness.
The Borrelia may grow in your dog’s joints or muscles.
When this happens, your dog’s body will begin to fight the invasion, which will cause the area to become inflamed.
This inflammation can lead to soreness, pain, and lameness.
While lameness can occur for reasons other than Lyme's disease (such as arthritis, infection, sprains, and cancer), the symptoms commonly associated with Lyme's disease-induced lameness include:
Acute lameness:
This is another way of saying a sudden-onset lameness.
Your dog may have been fine the previous day, but wakes up the next feeling dull, feverish, and with marked lameness in one or more legs.
Joint Pain:
The affected joint(s) become swollen and warm.
They are also tender or painful when touched.
If in doubt, compare your dog’s lame leg to his other corresponding leg.
The lame leg may look larger or feel hotter than the other.
Walking Stiffly:
If the joints in the spine are affected, your dog may walk stiffly with his back hunched and arched.
When you stroke his back, he may flinch as if in pain. , The lameness caused by Lyme’s disease often lasts for only 3 to 4 days, and responds readily to antibiotic therapy with oxytetracycline antibiotics.
If left untreated the lameness may resolve but the dog is at risk of going on to develop later clinical signs of the disease (this is discussed in the next section). , When the body mounts an immune response, the lymph nodes may become flooded with cells ready to fight infection, which causes them to physically enlarge.
It is difficult for untrained people to feel these lymph nodes in their dogs, but if they are swollen you may be able to see quail's eggs sized bumps under the skin.
When you run fingers over the bumps you will feel a smooth, round swelling.
Common sites of lymph node enlargement are the prescapular (in front of the left and right shoulders) and popliteal (at the back of the left and right knees).
About the Author
Alexis Collins
Creates helpful guides on practical skills to inspire and educate readers.
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