Lyme Disease in Dogs: Symptoms & Treatments

Table of Contents

Can Dogs Get Lyme Disease?

How Long Does It Take for Lyme Disease to Infect Your Dog?

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Long-Term Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

The 3 Stages of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Understanding Dog Lyme Disease Life Expectancy

Can Lyme Disease Be Cured in Dogs?

Can My Dog Give Me Lyme Disease?

How to Test for Lyme Disease & Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs

Standard Practice and the Idexx SNAP 4Dx Test for Dogs

Lyme Disease in Dogs Treatment

How Can Pet Owners Prevent Dogs from Getting Lyme Disease?

Lyme Disease Preventative Care for Dogs

One Health & Tick Prevention

Global Lyme Alliance: Leading the Fight Against Lyme Disease

Learn about how Lyme disease affects dogs, including the symptoms they experience, potential treatments, and its impact on their life expectancy.

Lyme disease in dogs is caused by a bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted by ticks. It is the same bacteria that causes Lyme disease in humans. Lyme disease is what is known as zoonotic - meaning it can be passed by different species to humans or animals. It is incredibly prevalent in the United States; in 2018 roughly 1 in 5 dogs routinely tested for blood parasites tested positive for Lyme disease antibodies.

Dogs are particularly prone to tick bites, because they love to play in places where ticks live: grass, shrubs, the woods, leaf piles, and beach dunes. The rate of canine Lyme disease is on the rise, including in states where Lyme was not previously considered endemic. To help keep your dog safe, it’s helpful to understand what Lyme disease is and how it affects dogs; what symptoms you should watch for; how Lyme disease is diagnosed in dogs; and what preventive measures you can take for your dog.

Can Dogs Get Lyme Disease?

Yes. Just like humans, dogs can get Lyme disease from the bite of an infected black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick (see photo). In fact, dogs are at high risk for tick bites because they spend so much time walking and playing in places where ticks like to live: in the woods, in shrubs, in long grasses, in the yard, in leaf piles and in beach dunes. The rate of canine Lyme disease is on the rise, including in states where Lyme was not previously considered endemic.

When a tick bites a human or a dog, it can transmit borrelia Burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. It can also transmit pathogens that cause other tick-borne diseases, such as babesiosis or ehrlichiosis.

Dogs can also get diseases from other types of ticks. You may have heard of the American dog tick, which is bigger than a black-legged tick (see photo). The American dog tick doesn’t carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, but it can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. If your dog is bitten by a tick, it’s important to know what type of tick it is and the diseases it can carry (see GLA’s Tick Table).

How Long Does It Take for Lyme Disease to Infect Your Dog?

Lyme disease bacteria can be transmitted in a short period during a tick bite, but it may take anywhere from three weeks to several months for symptoms to start showing in dogs. Some dogs never even show signs of illness.

If you think your dog could have contracted Lyme disease—whether they were bitten by a tick, are showing symptoms of Lyme disease, or both—it’s important to see your veterinarian right away. They can do tests for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. However, similar to humans, Lyme can be difficult to detect in dogs because blood tests only look for antibodies against the Lyme bacteria, not for the bacteria itself, and your dog may not have enough antibody levels to show up on a test even though they do have Lyme. Your veterinarian should therefore make an assessment as to whether your dog could have Lyme disease based on clinical signs. If your dog does have Lyme disease, their kidneys should be checked to see if they have been affected, since Lyme can cause kidney disease in dogs, which can be fatal.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Lyme disease can be difficult to detect in both humans and dogs, because symptoms can mirror other illnesses, and can also take a while to develop. In humans, Lyme can be easily detected when a person develops a “bulls-eye” rash, but unfortunately dogs do not get this tell-tale sign of Lyme disease. And of course, since dogs can’t speak, they can’t describe how they’re feeling. Instead, humans need to watch for signs and symptom that could indicate your dog has Lyme disease.

Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Early symptoms of Lyme disease infection in dogs can include:

• Generalized pain
• Fatigue
• Decreased activity
• Loss of appetite
• Fever (often high)
• Lameness—a dog may limp with pain that shifts between legs and comes and goes
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Excessive salivating

Long Term Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs

As Lyme bacteria move throughout a dog’s body, it can travel to the joints, causing Lyme arthritis; to the kidneys, causing Lyme nephritis; or to the nervous system, causing Lyme neuroborreliosis. Symptoms can include:

• Swollen joints and joint pain
• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Kidney problems
• Neurological issues, including irritability, aggression, and sensitivity to touch

The 3 Stages of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Lyme disease in dogs progresses through three stages, each with distinct symptoms and treatment approaches. During the early stage, dogs may experience lameness, fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. Treatment involves antibiotics and pain management medication. In the subclinical stage, symptoms may include recurrent lameness, mild joint swelling, and lethargy. Diagnosis and treatment are similar to the early stage but may require longer antibiotic therapy. In the chronic stage, dogs may experience persistent lameness, arthritis, kidney disease, and other complications. Treatment involves prolonged antibiotic therapy, pain management, and supportive care. Preventative measures such as regular tick checks, tick control products, and vaccination against Lyme disease are essential for protecting dogs from this tick-borne illness.

Understanding Dog Lyme Disease Life Expectancy

Life expectancy of dogs can decrease due to Lyme disease, particularly if the infection has moved to the kidneys. If Lyme disease is caught early, the veterinarian can monitor the dog’s symptoms and treat the kidneys with antibiotics. If left untreated or unnoticed, Lyme disease can cause chronic symptoms, including:

• Kidney failure and kidney disease
• Cardiac issues
• Arthritis

These symptoms can be fatal or can decrease your dog’s quality of life. The earlier Lyme disease is caught and treated, the better chance your dog will have at responding to treatment.

Can Lyme Disease Be Cured in Dogs?

The short answer is yes. If Lyme disease is caught early, your veterinarian will provide antibiotics that will usually cure your dog in four weeks. Lyme disease is generally treated with the antibiotic doxycycline. If your dog is experiencing pain, your veterinarian may also prescribe anti-inflammatory medication. Sometimes, other treatments will be needed, especially if your dog has another tick-borne disease in addition to Lyme.

If Lyme disease is not caught and treated early, your dog can experience chronic Lyme disease symptoms. If your dog has Lyme nephritis, your veterinarian may prescribe other medications or change your dog’s diet. Left untreated, Lyme nephritis can be fatal. The key to effective Lyme disease treatment is early diagnosis.

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Can My Dog Give Me Lyme Disease?

No. Lyme disease can only be transmitted through the bite of a black-legged tick. A dog cannot pass Lyme disease on to a human, but a tick can move from a dog onto a human, so be sure to check your dog for ticks right before coming in the home or as soon as they come inside. Be careful that you don’t get bit while you are checking your dog for ticks!

How to Test for Lyme Disease & Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs

Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose because testing is not always accurate. Standard blood tests look for antibodies against the Lyme bacteria, rather than the Lyme bacteria itself. If it’s early in infection, a dog probably won’t have built up enough antibodies to show up on a blood test, meaning the test might have a false negative result. Later-stage cases give dogs more time to build up antibodies, but they still might not create enough to get a positive test result even if they are infected with Lyme. If the test does come back positive, a veterinarian can do a follow-up QC6 test to determine the level of Lyme disease antibodies.

Veterinarians can also test directly for Lyme disease bacteria in joint fluid, but these and other types of tests are also not always accurate and are therefore not often used. If a veterinarian suspects that Lyme disease has moved to a dog’s kidneys, they can run general blood tests to determine kidney function, and urine tests to see if there is loss of protein in the urine.

All of these tests can help a veterinarian make a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease in dogs, which they may do with or without positive blood test results depending on the dog’s symptoms and their risk of exposure to an infected tick.

Standard Practice and the Idexx SNAP 4Dx Test for Dogs

The blood parasite test routinely used in Vet Hospitals in the US is a serum ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) test for vector-borne agents, produced by Idexx labs, known as a SNAP 4Dx. This tests for Heartworm disease (Dirofilaria immitis), and three tick-borne diseases - Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi), Ehrlichia (Ehrlichia canis/chaffeensis) and Anaplasma (Anaplasma phagocytophilum/platys).

The American Heartworm Society recommends testing for Heartworm disease annually, because most hospitals routinely use the Snap 4Dx to do so, Lyme disease is also tested annually. The problem with a positive test is it does not necessarily mean your dog is symptomatic - just that they have been exposed to the bacteria, and have made antibodies against them. These antibodies do not develop immediately, and because of that these Snap 4Dx tests (which test for the antibodies) will not become positive until several weeks after your dog has been exposed and had time to develop antibodies.

If you find a tick on your dog and are concerned about tick-borne illness, most hospitals recommend delaying testing for at least 4-8 weeks after the initial tick bite to allow time for antibodies to develop and be detected. In some cases it can take anywhere from 2-5 months for symptoms to develop. By the time symptoms occur, the bacteria causing Lyme disease, may already be widespread in the body.

Lyme Disease in Dogs Treatment

Standard treatment for Lyme disease in dogs involves several weeks of antibiotics, and veterinarians may also recommend a urinalysis to evaluate kidney health - as late stages of Lyme can lead to kidney failure in dogs which can be fatal.

How Can Pet Owners Prevent Dogs from Getting Lyme Disease?

To protect your dog from getting Lyme disease, you can take some steps to help with tick prevention. You can have your dog get a Lyme vaccine, which your veterinarian can administer annually. Even if your dog is vaccinated against Lyme, though, they are not protected against other tick-borne illnesses, so it’s important to still check for ticks and take other preventative measures.

In addition to a vaccine, there are also over the counter and prescription tick preventatives. These include topical creams and tick collars. These products tend to offer protection against ticks for about three months at a time. Your veterinarian can help determine what the best prevention measure is for your dog.

Another important way to prevent your dog from getting a tick bite is to keep the dog away from areas where ticks tend to live. Ticks like shady, moist areas like woods, shrubs, leaf piles, and stone walls. Keep your lawn cut short, and keep dogs out of the woods and in the center of paths, and out of leaf litter. You might also consider having your yard treated for ticks.

Even if you have taken the previous steps, it’s critical that you check your dog for ticks before they come in the house. Feel for bumps from head to toe. Check the skin and fur of your dog’s entire body, remembering to look in the scalp, inside and outside the ears, around the eyes and eyelids, under the collar, on the back of the neck, under the legs, in the elbows, in the groin area, between the toes, and under the tail. You can also run a lint brush over the dog’s fur to pick up tiny ticks that you don’t see or feel. Ticks can be as small as a poppyseed!

Lyme Disease Preventative Care for Dogs

There are two main types of prevention of tick-borne illness in dogs, the first being the use of flea and tick control, and the second being the Lyme vaccine. Not all flea and tick control is created equal.

Due to over the counter flea and tick products, there has been circumstances where dogs succumb to neurologic issues brought on by good intentioned owners who bathed their dog in over the counter flea and tick products.

These products caused so much damage that these dogs had to be euthanized a few weeks later. What you should know about flea and tick preventatives is that all oral products are overseen by the FDA, and all topical products are overseen by the EPA. The EPA regulations on these products are not nearly as strict as the FDA’s regulations on oral products.

Oral products, however, do not repel fleas and ticks- instead they kill them after biting your pet when they consume the preventatives in your pet’s blood. This is why pet owners will often find dead ticks still attached or falling off their pet when on regular (oral) prevention. Some drug companies also have a Lyme Satisfaction Guarantee within their fine print. It is recommended that dog owners look for this guarantee on their products, and be sure you are purchasing your product from Veterinary hospitals directly. If you are not, you are foregoing this guarantee. The Lyme Satisfaction Guarantee from certain drug companies will cover up to $5,000 of diagnostics and treatments for Lyme disease if your dog was actively on their product, and up to $10,000 of diagnostics and treatment if your dog was using their flea and tick products AND also up to date on the Lyme vaccine. There are various stipulations in place, but typically, this guarantee is not exercised as much as it could be by pet owners.

These products should be used regularly - often monthly - to be effective over the course of your dog's life. Veterinary professionals in the Mid-Atlantic region recommend flea and tick prevention 12 months out of the year. The second line of defense against Lyme disease in dogs is the Lyme vaccine. The Lyme vaccine is roughly 60% to 86% effective in dogs and targets the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi not only in your dog, but within the infected tick when attached. The Lyme vaccine is administered in a series of two boosters - generally given two to four weeks apart, and then boosted annually. It is recommended to continue vaccinating against Lyme disease even if your dog has tested positive for Lyme exposure, as your dog can continue to be bitten by ticks and re-exposed throughout their lifespan.

One Health & Tick Prevention

The "One Health" Initiative is a movement of collaborations between physicians, including veterinarians, human physicians, dentists, nurses, and other medical disciplines. This collaboration focuses on shared issues such as emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases, biosecurity, food safety, and climate change. As Lyme disease is an endemic zoonotic disease, it falls under the One Health Initiative. While there is both a vaccine and many tick preventatives in veterinary medicine, the scope of prevention in human medicine has fallen behind with so many good tick preventatives available for dogs, both oral and topical, and typically applications last at least a month.

Various bug sprays on the market for people typically last only a few hours. In addition to prevention, dogs who are seen for routine veterinary care are usually screened for exposure to Lyme disease annually. Merial, now part of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, introduced Nexgard (afoxolaner) in 2013 as the first oral flea and tick prevention approved by the FDA. It changed the game in terms of prevention with its ease of use, and also effectiveness.

Global Lyme Alliance: Leading the Fight Against Lyme Disease

If you suspect that your dog may have Lyme disease or if you want to learn more about preventing Lyme disease in your furry friend, the Global Lyme Alliance is an excellent resource. They offer valuable information, resources, and support for both pet owners and those affected by Lyme disease. You can contribute to their efforts in Lyme disease research and education by donating to support their cause. Click here to donate or check out our other resources.

Remember, early detection and prevention are key to protecting your dog from Lyme disease, so stay informed and keep your pet safe!

The above material is provided for information purposes only. The material (a) is not nor should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor (b) does it necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of Global Lyme Alliance, Inc. or any of its directors, officers, advisors or volunteers. Advice on the testing, treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient’s medical history.