preventic measures include environmental control such as tick avoidance. More information on ticks can be found at URI’s website: www.tickencounter.org.
Lyme Disease
Many dogs in West Greenwich are seropositive for Lyme, meaning they have been exposed, but only a few of them get sick. Although many dogs have some bacteria in their bodies and therefore test positive, only 15-20% show the classic symptoms of fever, swollen joints, and lameness. This form of Lyme almost always responds, within 48 hours, to the antibiotic Doxycycline. Recovery from Lyme disease does not impart immunity; dogs can be reinfected after they recover from the initial illness.
The Other Tick Transmitted Diseases:
(at least, the ones we can test for)
Ehrlichia Canis and Anaplasma Phagocytophilum
We are currently using a combination test for heartworm disease in the dog that includes tests for Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Lyme. These are all tick transmitted disease organisms that cause clinical signs similar to Lyme disease. They respond, as does Lyme disease, to the antibiotic doxycycline.
Other tick born diseases exist in our area for which we have no easy, relatively inexpensive in house test.
One example is Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The test for Anaplasma, Ehrlichiaand Lyme serves as a measure of tick exposure. Fortunately, these other tick transmitted diseases are also responsive to doxycycline.
What to Do if the In-Hospital Lyme, Anaplasma, or Ehrlichia Test is Positive
· Re-evaluate tick control to prevent re-infection. Apply Frontline every month. Add a
Preventic collar. Apply Frontline year round.
· Have your dog’s urine checked twice a year for protein ($38), the first sign of kidney damage caused by tick transmitted disease. Further tests may be needed to quantify the protein level if a significant amount of protein is found.
· Vaccinate for Lyme disease as an additional level of protection against re-infection. Vaccinated laboratory dogs were protected from infection when exposed to ticks one year after vacccination. Constantly exposed dogs would probably not fare as well, which is why we stress tick control. Vaccines for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma are not currently available.
· Treatment with antibiotics is recommended. Treatment consists of doxycline, an antibiotic, given by mouth for a full month. It costs about $30 to treat an average dog for a month. Even when treated, Lyme positive dogs may not be able to completely
clear the infection. Prevention is key.
Tick transmitted disease, including Lyme disease, sometimes affects the kidneys. Ten to twelve of our patients each year develop protein losing nephritis, an often fatal kidney disease thought to be secondary to Lyme or other tick transmitted infection. It is thought that Lyme
disease may become chronic and cause arthritis, neurologic disease and cardiac disease later in life. It is these more severe symptoms that we are hoping to prevent with our vaccination and treatment protocol.
We offer a vaccine that, when combined with good tick control, we feel is safe and effective in preventing Lyme disease. Dogs are vaccinated initially and need boosters at 3 weeks, 6 months, and annually thereafter. The vaccine produces an antibody that works within the tick to prevent Lyme organisms from reaching the dog.