Thursday, September 10, 2009

Symptoms And Treatment Of Canine Lyme Disease

By Moses Wright

If a dog is bitten by a tick, the dog can contract canine Lyme disease if the tick was carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Line diseases a bacteria infection caused by this bacteria.

Lyme diseases most commonly transmitted through bites from a deer tick. Deer ticks are extremely small and can be described as being the size of a period on a printed page. Dog ticks are a significantly larger species of tick, but dogs can get bit by 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.

The dog can develop so much joint pain that the joint pain prevents the dog from moving. The joint pain can become this severe within a few days of the onset of Lyme disease.

Besides the joints, Lyme disease can also affect the dog's heart muscle and nerve tissue. If the dog is promptly treated for Lyme disease by a veterinarian, the risk of permanent damage is minimized.

A veterinarian will diagnose Lyme disease based on the dog's symptoms and medical history. Lyme disease is usually treated with antibiotics. A pain reliever may prescribed by the veterinarian for the dog's joint pain.

Most dogs respond very well to treatment for Lyme disease. Approximately five percent of the dogs that have been treated for Lyme disease will continue to have permanent damage or symptoms of Lyme disease.

Possible permanent damage from Lyme disease includes joint pain, heart problems, a neurological difficulties. For some dogs, the Lyme disease can return after treatment.

Lyme disease vaccinations can help prevent Lyme disease, but having the vaccine does not guarantee that the dog will not contract Lyme disease. The vaccination is one way that a dog owner can reduce the dog's risk of canine Lyme disease.

Flea and tick drops that are applied monthly to the dog's skin typically along the dog spine or between the dog shoulder blades is another preventative measure against Lyme disease. After a dog has been outside, dog owners should check the dog for ticks.

If the dog owner finds a tick on their dog, the dog owner should not panic. Not all ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The tick should be removed with tweezers as soon as possible to reduce the risk of transmission of any disease-causing bacteria.

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