|
Borreliosis (Lyme Disease) is a zoonotic world wide bacterial disease. It is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted by the bite of a tick belonging to the Ixodes (pronounced eye-zod-ease) ricinus, a group of closely related hard ticks.
Borrelia burgdorferi is spread by the genus, Ixodes scapularis also known as deer tick or black-legged tick and is dominant in northeastern and midwestern part of the United States and eastern Ontario Canada; the genus Ixodes pacificus also known as the western black-legged tick resides in in western United States; and in Europe the genus Ixodes ricinus also known as the castor bean tick has been identified.
A dog that presents itself with unexplained limping not attributed to arthritis or prior injury or trauma, a fever, swollen lymph nodes, lack of appetite, and lethargic and lives or visited in an area where Lyme's Disease is endemic are clinical signs that a dog has Lyme Disease. Once the bacteria borrelia burgdorferi starts to spread, the dog may become completely lame and if not treated in time the bacteria can attack the heart and central nervous system.
Diagnosing Lyme's Disease can be very tricky and difficult and is a disease where other afflictions and diseases are to be ruled out before a diagnosis of Lyme Disease can be made. An Immunological chemical test called ELISHA is a diagnostic tool which may confirm Lyme's Disease infection. Another effective diagnostic tool, the Western Blot technique which analyses proteins in infected dogs can give accurate results and can also confirm and reverse negative ELISHA results.
Veterinarians who are experienced and recognizes Lyme's Disease immediately administers antibacterial therapy to infected dogs and analgesics for dogs in pain. Tetracycline drugs are the drug of choice to treat Lyme's disease.
Lyme Disease can be prevented by having dogs vaccinated and by using ticks repellants which can be obtained from a veterinarian.
Image courtesy T.J. Dunn DVM and the Petcenter.com
|
