Pet Care Q & A

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Please note that due to the staggering number of questions we receive, we now answer questions only from individuals in our immediate service area of northern Minnesota.

Q. What causes Lyme disease?

A. Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, corkscrew-shaped bacteria that live in deer ticks and western black-legged ticks. When an infected tick feeds on a dog, person or other mammal, the bacteria are transmitted and can cause an infection.

Q. How prevalent is Lyme disease?

A. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease (transmitted from one organism to another) in the United States. Incidence has nearly doubled over the past decade, with more than 27,000 cases in humans reported across the U.S. in 2007 and 1,238 in Minnesota alone that year. Lyme disease has also been reported in cats, horses and cattle. While there is no CDC for animals, research suggests that dogs are twice as likely to become infected as humans living in the same geographic area.

Q. Can infected dogs give Lyme disease to people or other pets?

A. No. Lyme disease is not spread by contact with infected animals (or people). Infection occurs only when a tick carrying Lyme disease bites an animal or person. But ticks can make their way into your home, attached to your dog. To be safe, check your dog, yourself and other family members for ticks after spending time outdoors.

Q. What are the symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs?

A. While many dogs exhibit no outward evidence of Lyme disease infection, the most common visible signs are arthritis and lameness, often accompanied by loss of appetite and depression. Additional signs of Lyme disease include:

• Reluctance to move or a stiff, painful gait
• Swollen joints that are warm to the touch
• Pain in the legs or throughout the body
• Fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes

Symptoms of Lyme disease may come and go, vary from mild to severe and mimic other conditions. In many dogs, the signs may not appear for several months after infection. In severe cases, dogs may also develop heart disease, central nervous system disorders or fatal kidney disease.

Q. How do I know if my dog has Lyme disease?

A. The broad spectrum of possible symptoms associated with tick-borne diseases (including no symptoms) makes screening a vital component of your dog’s annual veterinary exam. Tests are fast, with results while you wait . The test that screens for Lyme disease, canine ehrlichiosis and canine anaplasmosis also screens for heartworm, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Regular screening is not only important for disease identification, it’s necessary so that a treatment program can begin as quickly as possible.

Q. Can Lyme disease be treated?

A. Several broad-spectrum antibiotics are available to treat Lyme disease and are generally effective, especially in the early stages of the disease. Response to the antibiotics is often seen within 3–5 days.

Q. Can Lyme disease be prevented?

A. Numerous tick-prevention medications are available both over the counter and from your veterinarian. Some veterinarians suggest putting a tick collar on your dog, and some will also vaccinate dogs against Lyme disease. But neither method offers 100 percent protection. The combination of annual screenings, early vaccination of puppies and booster vaccinations for adult dogs is the best way to protect your dog.

Q. Can ticks transmit other diseases to my dog?

A. Yes. Although Lyme disease often receives the most attention, ticks can carry other diseases, such as canine ehrlichiosis, canine anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. As with Lyme disease, they are often mistaken for other conditions and cannot be accurately diagnosed without a trip to the veterinarian.

Q. What are the signs of canine ehrlichiosis?

A. Like Lyme disease, warning signs of canine ehrlichiosis [ur-lik-ee-oh-sis] may not be readily apparent. Common symptoms of canine ehrlichiosis at the onset include:

• Fever
• Runny eyes and nose
• Loss of appetite/weight loss
• Swollen lymph glands
• Joint pain
• Depression

If left untreated, canine ehrlichiosis progresses to a symptom-free phase, which can last days, months or years. The final, chronic phase can be mild or severe. When severe, signs include retinal bleeding, eye disease, spontaneous nose bleeds and swelling of the limbs. If caught early, the prognosis is usually very good for a full recovery. However, severe cases of canine ehrlichiosis that go untreated can result in death.

Q. How is canine ehrlichiosis diagnosed in dogs?

A. Your veterinarian can perform a simple in-house blood test to determine whether your dog has been infected with canine ehrlichiosis. The test also screens for Lyme disease, canine anaplasmosis and heartworm.

Q. Can dogs diagnosed with canine ehrlichiosis be treated?

A. Several broad-spectrum antibiotics can effectively treat canine ehrlichiosis, especially in its early stages. Response to antibiotics is usually seen within 2 to 3 days. Dogs experiencing severe anemia or bleeding problems may require a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, the chronic form of canine ehrlichiosis can be fatal.

Q. What is canine anaplasmosis?

A. The bacteria that causes Canine Anaplasmosis (an-uh-plaz-moh-sis) is transmitted by the deer tick and the western black-legged tick—the same ticks that transmit Lyme disease. Another form of Canine Anaplasmosis is caused by the Anaplasma platys bacterium carried by the brown dog tick. Symptoms of canine anaplasmosis often mimic arthritis, with multiple painful joints. Some anaplasmosis-infected dogs run a high fever, accompanied by lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. Neurological signs, while infrequent, may result in seizures and neck pain. Very little geographic data is available about canine anaplasmosis, however its common host, the deer tick, is found throughout the United States.

Q. Can canine anaplasmosis be passed from animals to humans?

A. WThere is currently no evidence to suggest that canine anaplasmosis, or human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (as it’s called in humans), can be passed from dogs to humans. However, the disease is transmitted to humans and dogs by the same species of tick. To be safe, check for ticks on your dog, yourself and other family members after spending time outdoors.