Living with Lyme Disease in Dogs

[ducklover1994]

My chocolate lab has Lyme disease which he picked up almost a year ago today. Some days are definitely better then others. When it rains he gets all stiff and acts like a 12 year old instead of a 4 year old like he is. Does anyone else have this problem with their dog? What can you do to keep the symptoms down?

 

[sourland]

When Lyme's was diagnosed, was he treated with antibiotics? I raise field trial beagles, and have had several dogs come down with Lyme's disease. Rapid treatment with Doxycycline has resulted in dogs with no apparent symptoms. Of all the dogs that I have treated, only one broke a second time with symptoms. Her first treatment was Amoxycillin prescribed by my vet - on the second appearance of symptoms, I put her on 30 days of Doxycycline, and she was apparently cleared. In my experience, Rimadyl, used judiciously is great for arthritic symptoms. Good luck at resolving your dog's pain issues.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Agree with Sourland, also perhaps you could speak with your vet about Dasuquin--maybe that would help. Good luck.

 

[sourland]

Coincidentally, last night when I went to feed, one of my best young dogs (2 yrs old) refused to eat. I raised this dog from a pup, and he has never skipped a meal. In the morning he was fine but in the evening he was hunched up, lame and evidently in pain. Why do such things happen on a holiday weekend or just as you are ready to leave on vacation? Anyway I started him on Doxycycline. This AM he ate and feels much better. I am going to make the assumption that he Has Lymes disease and will continue to treat with Doxycycline. In my experience this has been typical of Lymes onset and resolution of apparent symptoms has taken place in 24 to 36 hours.

 

[Kaitie09]

I have a dog with Lymes. We adopted her and when they tested her at the vet, she showed a positive result. I have no idea how long she had had it before we got her. She too gets stiff in rain or cold weather. When she gets bad we actually take her to a chiropractor and by the time she leaves, she is right back to normal. We also give her massages just to relax the back and legs. since she is getting up there in age, we just started adding fish oil to her food too.