danisgoat
Moderator
According to my vet, there is a new vaccine for Lyme that you can give to dogs that have already been Lyme positive. And it is much more effective then the old vaccine.
Lyme disease help!
- Thread starter tessiesmommy
- Start date
According to my vet, there is a new vaccine for Lyme that you can give to dogs that have already been Lyme positive. And it is much more effective then the old vaccine.
The Quahog
Forums Enthusiast
Thanks Connie.
One thing about that article is that the title is a tad intimidating to the general reader, as there is more technical language in the title than in the article. :sadsmile:
It should just say ' Should we treat asymptomatic Lyme positive dogs with antibiotics?'
In CE we always look for the take-home 'nuggets' we can apply to practice.
In that article virtually every paragraph is a nugget.
I'd be curious as to the general reaction to the recommendation - "At Cornell, we do treat nonclinical dogs at the owner’s request after discussing the risks and benefits associated with therapy. "
as frankly that one 'raises an eyebrow' with me. - Dr. Mac
I think it's an interesting topic, if for no other reason than tick diseases -- Lyme and its nastier cousins -- are becoming a real threat to both people and pets just about everywhere in the US.
I also think that medical research is just starting to get an idea of what diseases TBD can cause later on in the body. In dogs, anything from crippling arthritis to kidney disease to neurological disorders when the central nervous system is affected, can all be due to untreated or insufficiently treated tick disease.
I lived for 7+ years with a Sheltie who had cancer, and treated that with only alternative therapies (and great, albeit unexpected, success) -- but cancer is a black-and-white issue, I feel, in comparison with tick disease, which is a thousand shades of constantly changing colors.
Two days before I was to pick up Mike, my Finnish Lapphund, from the breeder who had pulled him from the shelter, she casually mentioned that he had been treated for ehrlichia. My heart sank. I think the exact words in my mind were "oh, sh!t" -- because I knew that it was probably chronic and probably would cause us both lots of problems in years to come. And it sure has. During one flare, Mike's platelet count went below 15,000 (normal is 170,000 and above), he developed petechiae in his eyes, on his gums and belly, and the vet had a donor dog lined up for transfusion should we need it. Thank goodness, Pred stopped Mike's platelet slide and he came out of that flare, but his life is a constant balancing act for his immune system, with the chronic ehrlichia.
I think I probably would be one of the owners who chooses to treat an asymptomatic dog that tests positive for Lyme, just because the later-on possibilities are so awful. But it's not an easy question!
I also think that medical research is just starting to get an idea of what diseases TBD can cause later on in the body. In dogs, anything from crippling arthritis to kidney disease to neurological disorders when the central nervous system is affected, can all be due to untreated or insufficiently treated tick disease.
I lived for 7+ years with a Sheltie who had cancer, and treated that with only alternative therapies (and great, albeit unexpected, success) -- but cancer is a black-and-white issue, I feel, in comparison with tick disease, which is a thousand shades of constantly changing colors.
Two days before I was to pick up Mike, my Finnish Lapphund, from the breeder who had pulled him from the shelter, she casually mentioned that he had been treated for ehrlichia. My heart sank. I think the exact words in my mind were "oh, sh!t" -- because I knew that it was probably chronic and probably would cause us both lots of problems in years to come. And it sure has. During one flare, Mike's platelet count went below 15,000 (normal is 170,000 and above), he developed petechiae in his eyes, on his gums and belly, and the vet had a donor dog lined up for transfusion should we need it. Thank goodness, Pred stopped Mike's platelet slide and he came out of that flare, but his life is a constant balancing act for his immune system, with the chronic ehrlichia.
I think I probably would be one of the owners who chooses to treat an asymptomatic dog that tests positive for Lyme, just because the later-on possibilities are so awful. But it's not an easy question!