Canine Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of a tick that as carrying the bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi is the name of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Not all species of ticks can carry the bacteria that causes canine Lyme disease. Deer ticks are one species to take that most commonly causes Lyme disease infections. Deer ticks, being the size of a period on a printed page, are much smaller than the common dog ticks. Dogs can be bitten by dog ticks or deer ticks.

Severe joint pain is often the first sign of canine Lyme disease. This pain often causes a limp, especially in one of the dog’s front legs. Canine Lyme disease can cause fever and lymph node swelling.

Symptoms of canine Lyme disease can begin within hours of being bitten by a tick that was carrying the bacteria. Dogs may develop severe joint pain that inhibits their ability to move.

Lyme disease can also negatively affect the dogs and nerve tissue and heart muscle. If the dog is treated promptly for canine Lyme disease, the risk of permanent damage decreases.

The dog’s symptoms and medical history tells the veterinarian diagnosed Lyme disease. Antibiotics are typically prescribed for the treatment of canine Lyme disease. If the dog is having joint pain, a pain reliever may also be prescribed.

Canine Lyme disease is highly treatable. Only about five percent of the dogs that have contracted Lyme disease and have been treated will continue to have symptoms or permanent damage after treatment.

Some permanent damage that may continue after treatment includes joint pain, heart problems, a neurological difficulties. In some cases, the Lyme disease can be recurrent causing the reemergence of the symptoms.

A dog can receiving vaccinations for Lyme disease, but the vaccination does not guarantee that the dog will not contract the disease. However, the vaccination may reduce the dogs risk of contracting Lyme disease.

A preventative medicine such as flea and tick drops that are applied monthly reduce the dog’s risk of canine Lyme disease. Dog owners should check their dogs for ticks after the dogs have been outside, but being that takes are incredibly small they can be difficult to see.

Dog owners who find ticks on their dogs should not panic, but promptly remove the tick with a tweezers. Not all of deer ticks carry Lyme disease, but the longer an infected tick is on a dog, the greater the risk of contracting Lyme disease.

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