A Positive Test For Lyme Exposure Doesn't Mean Our Dog has Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted by certain ticks. Here in the Northeastern part of the US, the bacteria are usually transmitted by tiny little deer ticks. The bacteria are difficult to test for, so the tests look for antibodies in the blood, or the dog's reaction to the bacteria. The test doesn't tell us if the bacteria are still in the dog's body or if the dog will ever get Lyme disease.
Lyme Disease in Dogs is Different from People Lyme Disease
I'm not a people doctor or a vet, but from what I've read, the difference is that people often have flu like symptoms and a rash where the tick bit them and dogs often have joint pain and fever months after the tick bite occurred. People can have neurological and cardiac problems from Lyme diease which are extremely rare in dogs. Dogs can develop kidney problems after having had Lyme disease for a long time. Most dogs don't show symptoms of Lyme disease at all and Lyme exposure is discovered through routine screenings commonly done on a yearly basis at the vet's office.
Only about 10% (less actually) of dogs who test positive for Lyme exposure get sick. Some of the sick dogs have sore joints and run a low grade fever. The lameness from the sore joints can shift from leg to leg, most often the front legs, and the affected joints are often swollen and hot. Lymph nodes may be swollen too. The most serious problem caused by Lyme disease in dogs seems to be in the kidneys when the antibodies fighting the Lyme bacteria get stuck in the kidney filtering system which can prevent the kidneys from cleaning the blood.
Our Vet's Recommendations for Plato After Testing Positive for Lyme Exposure
Dr. Feldman made it clear that Lyme exposure doesn't mean Lyme disease. He said that he wanted to quantify Plato's exposure, so he did a second test, since only a small percentage of dogs who test positive for Lyme exposure get sick and only a small number of those dogs should be treated with antibiotics. Dr. F said that he usually doesn't treat dogs unless the level of a certain antibody (C6) is over 30. The test measures the level of the C6 antibody, which is only in the dog's body if the Lyme bacteria is still there. Well, Plato's C6 antibody level was 318 which sounds really high especially since Plato shows no symptoms of Lyme disease. We followed Dr. F's recommendation and treated Plato with a 4 week course of antibiotics (dosycycline).
Plato was also tested for kidney function since Lyme positive dogs in kidney failure spill protein into their urine. Kidney failure seems to be rare, but many experts think that the progression of the disease and kidney failure can be slowed with early detection and treatment. Plato's urine test came back totally normal which was a real relief to us. His kidneys seem to be fine. Going forward, Plato will continue with Frontline topical flea and tick repellent on a monthly basis all year round, not just during "tick season". He will be tested periodically to see his Lyme antibody level and may be given additional courses of antibiotics if his antibody level isn't significantly reduced. He probably will be given Lyme disease vaccinations. We'll keep our grass cut relatively short and will continue to check Plato and ourselves for ticks. Prevention is the best weapon against Lyme disease.
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