Clean Run - June 2018 - 36

Lyme disease is named for the town
of Lyme in Connecticut where the disease was first identified. It is caused by
Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete bacterium. Deer ticks spread this disease
also, so co-infection with Anaplasmosis
is commonly seen. See Figure 3.
Lone star tick, Amblyomma Americanum

photo courtEsy oF usda ars

Deer tick, Ixodes scapularis

Lyme Disease

The "bulls-eye" lesion seen on human
skin is not seen in dogs. Clinical signs
for canines are fairly delayed and do not
show for two to five months after transmission. Signs include fever, lameness,
and loss of appetite. More than 95% of
Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete
naturally infected dogs are asymptomthat causes Lyme disease
atic or subclinical. The bacteria can survive in the dog for a long time, with the
most severe complication being kidney disease. The kidney disease is caused by immune complexes. These complexes form from battling the bacteria and, as blood is
filtered through the kidneys, they can cause damage.

public domaiN

The process of transmission for Lyme disease requires the tick be attached to a dog
(or person) for 48 hours. If the tick is removed before that, Lyme disease cannot be
transmitted. When using veterinary recommended tick prevention, you may still see
ticks on your dog. However, just because you see ticks on your pet does not mean the
prevention isn't working! These ticks will actually be killed before the 48-hour mark
and will not spread the disease.
Lyme disease is the only tick-borne disease that has a vaccine available for dogs. The
vaccine is very safe and effective. If you live in an area where you do not have Lyme
disease, but will be traveling to a region that does, it is recommended to vaccinate a
few months in advance, to build up immunity.

Western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus

Brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus

The signs we commonly associate with Lyme disease are an acute onset of fever,
holding up a paw, or a joint (usually wrist or ankle) being swollen. These patients can
be diagnosed by a veterinarian through a physical examination and blood testing.
Lyme is treated with antibiotics and most dogs will respond quickly-usually within
24 hours dramatic improvement can be seen. Sporting dogs may be out of training or
competition for four to seven days, but can resume work quickly. It is very important
to finish the entire prescribed course of antibiotics, typically doxycycline, so that waxing/waning disease does not occur.
However, Lyme disease is not always that straightforward. When a dog has a chronic
or low-grade infection, it may be much harder to notice that they are ill. This may be
your competition dog that just "isn't himself," that is having difficulty in training like
Flash, or is slower in competition. These can be very frustrating to identify in both
veterinary medicine and human medicine.
Here are three examples of Lyme disease causing musculoskeletal problems in people beyond the "typical" clinical signs:
* A 34-year-old tennis player had been diagnosed with right-sided supraspinatus
tendinopathy and impingement (a common disease in agility dogs as well). He did
not improve with a course of physical therapy, and actually got worse in the right
shoulder, and started to have problems with the left shoulder as well. Further testing revealed he had Lyme disease, and once treatment was initiated, he responded
very well to treatment and continued physical therapy to regain the strength and
athletic function.1

American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis
36

* Two human patients in New England showed signs of right knee swelling and
pain. Neither had known tick bites, or reported signs of fever, rash or chills. Both
Clean Run | June 18

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - June 2018