LYME DISEASE IN DOGS, SYMPTOMS, TREATMENTS AND ALTERNATIVES

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Last Updated on June 22, 2023 by Thee Puppypreneur

Table Of Contents

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE IN DOGS AND HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?

Lyme disease in dogs is a bacterial infection you get from the bite of an infected deer tick.¹ There are at least 4 different species of ticks that are known to harbor Lyme disease. The most infamous being the black-legged deer tick.

The strain of bacteria in the United States known to cause lyme is Borrelia Burgdorferi. Once a tick attaches, it takes more then 24 hours for it to transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, so prompt removal of ticks is important.²

WHAT ARE LYME DISEASE SYMPTOMS IN DOGS

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in dogs are not immediate but can take as little as 2 months to appear.

Symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs can include:

Fever
Periodic Lameness (on and off)
Kidney damage
Depression
Poor Appetite
Tiredness or Lethargy

Some dogs show no symptoms at all but if left untreated it can affect your furbaby’s heart, kidneys and nervous system. If there are no symptoms the second most common issue is found within the kidneys and protein will be excreted in the urine.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A TICK ON YOUR DOG OR YOURSELF

Don’t panic! You can either remove the tick yourself or take the dog to the vet and have it removed so they can see what type of tick bit your dog. If your are going to remove the tick yourself you are going to need a pair of tweezers.

You are not going to want to burn off the tick or pull and twist. You should use special tweezers for ticks if you can, like these ones that i have a similar version of in my first aid kit at home and they are for both humans and furbabies

Amazon.com: TickEase Dual-Tipped Tick Remover Tool, Tick Tweezers for Humans & Pets, First Aid Tweezers with Magnifier & Tick Testing Instructions : Pet Supplies

You are going to want to pull straight up in a gentle fluid motion so that you don’t break the tick in half and leave its head still burrowed in the dog’s skin. Make sure you can save the tick and put it in a jar to bring to the vet with you.

HOW IS LYME DISEASE IN DOGS TESTED FOR

Blood tests for diagnosing Lyme disease in dogs can include something like the Snap 4Dx test which will also test for heartworm, lyme, erlichia and anaplasmosis.

This test takes about 10 minutes but can produce a false negative result if the dog is infected but it is too soon to tell as the dog hasn’t developed antibodies to the infection yet.

So, you should repeat the test at 6 months or a year afterwards just to be sure.

LYME DISEASE IN DOGS PREVENTION

Stephen Tobin D.V.M. says,

” I have seen a number of Lyme disease cases in dogs starting five to six weeks after vaccination (these also resolve with Ledum)”.³

Also, noted was a study done by Banfield in 1.2 million dogs and this Lyme disease vaccine produced more adverse reactions in dogs, in 3 days, then any other vaccine given.⁴

So…What other alternatives are there to prevention you might ask?? That depends on whether you are using it on the fur kid or the yard.

Flea and Tick Shampoo/Medication Drops
Sprays containing Peppermint Oil and Eugenol

If you are looking for a spray for your dog then this spray can be used topically on your dog below.

Amazon.com : Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Home Spray – Dog Flea and Tick Treatment for Home – Plant-Based Formula – Certified Natural Oils – 32 oz : Vet’s Best : Pest Control Carpet Sprays : Pet Supplies

If you are looking for a spray for your yard then they also make a spray for the yard that contains essential oils and when I use this I do the backyard and don’t run the sprinklers for a few days and only let the dogs in the front yard and then after a few days I spray the font yard and don’t run the sprinklers for the front or let the dogs in the front yard.

Amazon.com: Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Yard & Kennel Spray – Dog Flea Spray that Kills Fleas, Mosquitoes, & Ticks – Plant-Based Ingredients – Plant Safe Ready-to-Use Hose Attachment – 32 oz : Everything Else

If you are not about spraying your dog constantly and just want a longer term solution then the below alternative could be an option for you and this is a flea collar that is infused with essential oils proven to kill and repel fleas, ticks and mosquitos and says it lasts for up to 4 months.

Amazon.com : Wondercide – Flea and Tick Dog Collar – Flea, Tick, and Mosquito Repellent, Prevention for Dogs – with Natural Essential Oils – Pet and Family Safe – Up to 4 Months Protection : Pet Supplies

Another alternative for Lyme disease in dogs, if you don’t want to spray clove essential oils on your yard or use heavy chemicals is diatomaceous earth which is actually the fossilized remains of diatoms or a form of algae.

Amazon.com: HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade, 4lb with Powder Duster Included in The Bag : Health & Household

The way this works is you make sure your yard is dry and wear a mask, like I didn’t because there will be so much dust and powder you don’t want your furbaby or yourself inhaling this. The ticks and fleas, end up suffocating as it dries them from the inside out absorbing all their moisture.

You also want to make sure that you get food grade as there are two types of diatomaceous earth and the other is toxic. Some people also use this on their pets as a flea repellant but I do not as this doesn’t seem safe to me and I don’t want my little girl breathing in this powder.

I just make sure when I use it in the yard I only do the back and leave it for a couple days and we only use the front yard while the stuff is in the backyard. It is said that it takes only 12 hours to a couple days to kill ticks with diatomaceous earth.⁵

CLOVE CAUTION

No dogs should consume cloves or clove essential oil as they contain eugenol which has been reported to be toxic to dogs.⁶

So if you use spray with it make sure they don’t ingest or lick the areas you have sprayed.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT AND DOSAGES FOR LYME DISEASE IN DOGS

There are many different options from conventional medication to herbal remedies to homeopathy for Lyme disease in dogs. There is no one size fits all so I would explore your options carefully and discuss them further with your medical professional.

First, we will discuss the conventional approach which is;

MEDICATION

Tetracycline’s such as Doxycycline are used for treating Lyme disease in dogs. Which is what my little girl received when she got bit by a tick. Other antibiotics such as amoxicillin are also used.

Acute Lyme disease should be treated with doxycycline at

“10 mg/kg (PO) BID or Amoxicillin at 20 mg/kg (PO) TID.”⁷

The treatment for doxycycline and amoxicillin for Lyme disease in dogs is usually a minimum of 4-6 weeks. My little girl was on doxy for 4 weeks.

Another option for you to consider when treating a dog with Lyme disease in dogs, is all-natural herbal remedies or homeopathy, as either a complement to the medication or as a standalone method.

(NOTE: the below list is not to be taken all together they are some other options to discuss with your medical professional)

Ledum 1M
Cats Claw
Oregano Oil
Cinnamon Bark Oil

LEDUM

Ledum palustre (rhododendron tomentosum) is popularly called marsh labrador as well as wild rosemary.⁸

I followed Stephen Tobin’s advice and gave my little girl this

Amazon.com: Ledum Palustre 1M Homeopathic Remedy – 200 Pellets, Urenus : Health & Household

3 times a day for 3 days⁹ as he claims it has been used with success in is veterinary practice.

I found that lifting up her lip and leaving it there to dissolve didn’t work as I would find it on the bed later on. So I made sure to put it in a bowl and dilute it with a tiny amount of water before I would give it to her.

Another, ledum that I have on hand is this one

Amazon.com: Boiron Ledum Palustre 1M for Insect Bites or Bruising – 80 Pellets : Health & Household

LEDUM CAUTION

It should also be used with caution as it’s side effects can aggravate digestive or kidney ailments.

CATS CLAW

Cat’s Claw (uncaria tomentosa) is a woody vine native to the Amazon Rainforest that has also been shown to help with symptoms such as joint inflammation.¹⁰

CATS CLAW CAUTION

Use in caution in pets with low blood pressure, or taking any other medications as cat’s claw can stimulate the immune system which might make autoimmune diseases more active.¹¹

Cats Claw is one of

“7 natural product extracts at 1% that were found to have good activity against the stationary phase B. burgdorferi culture compared to the control antibiotics doxycycline and cefuroxime.”¹²

OREGANO OIL

Carvacrol was found to be the most active ingredient of oregano oil showing excellent activity against B. burgdorferi stationary phase cells, while other ingredients of oregano oil p-cymene and α-terpinene had no apparent activity.¹³

CINNAMON BARK OIL

Also noted was the efficacy of Cinnamon Bark Oil in killing stationary phase B. Burgdoferi.¹⁴

Again, these are some options for you to discuss with your veterinarian and determine what course of action is best suited for your furbaby based upon symptoms, length of disease and other underlying factors or conditions.

Check out our other articles for more information, such as;

HOW TO GET RID OF FLEAS ON A DOG, A HELPFUL, THOROUGH GUIDE