Lyme disease is an infectious disease spread primarily by a small tick. It is caused by a bacterium called a spirochete that is transmitted to animals and humans by the bite of the tick. In people, Lyme disease can appear similar to other diseases such as flu or Alzheimer’s disease. If untreated, it can lead to joint damage and heart and neurologic complications. In animals, the disease can mimic flu-like symptoms and can lead to joint damage, heart complications and kidney problems.

Symptoms: Lyme disease is not easy to detect due to a variety of symptoms. Actual clinical signs may not be noticeable for a long period of time after the infection.

Animals hardly ever develop the rash that normally occurs in people with Lyme disease. Clinical signs in animals are fever, loss of appetence, acute lameness with no history of trauma, and arthralgia. These symptoms normally develop within a few weeks of initial infection and can re-occur or develop weeks to months later.

Lyme disease diagnosis is based on recognition of the typical symptoms and by blood testing. Early in the disease the blood test can be negative even though the disease is present. Only with progressing disease these tests become reliable.

Treatment: with antibiotics have been shown to be effective in the early stages for both, humans and animals. If detected early enough, there is almost complete relief of pain and lameness within 24 hours of initial treatment in animals. Chronic cases of the disease respond much slower and require longer periods of treatment.

Knowing if certain areas are a breeding ground for ticks, avoidance of such areas, and prompt removal of the tick are the primary preventive measures. The ticks should always be given to a doctor/sent to a lab to find out if it carries the disease. Vaccines are available to protect dogs, so are top-spot treatments that protect the animal from getting bitten by ticks. (Most of these are a combination for flea- and tick control).