My cat has joint swelling, drinks lots after tick. Is it Lyme disease?

If it isn't raised or inflamed, it likely is not a tick bite. It is uncommon, buts cats can become infected by the Lyme organism. Ticks need to be attached and feeding for 36-48 hours though before transmission is possible. This would leave a noticeable tick bit granuloma. Chiky should be bumped up to the next size of Advantage Multi since she is outside of the weight range of the product you have. She is being underdosed and could potentially get fleas or ticks.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Loki. I recommend that she sees an emergency veterinarian today if possible. If not, then she must be seen first thing in the morning. While the swelling is not common, it may be due a complication of Lyme disease knowns as vasculitis. Blood vessels can become leaky due to inflammation and cause swelling of the limbs. Continue her medications as directed. Encourage her to eat and drink normally. I hope this information helps!

Themise kesion are very suspicious of where a ticj may have been attached due to the inflammation and swelling and the target lesions. Lyme disease is transmitted by 1 type of Tick but there are other Tick disease caused by different types id ticks. With that degree of inflammation I would have your vet check those area and do lab work. It will check for Tick borne diseases and check for any changes in the blood from the illness if positive.

The answer is a bit complicated. Yes, I would be concerned about tick diseases, however the test may or may not show a positive even if he did get infected with lyme disease because it takes about 4 weeks for antibodies to be high enough for the test to detect them. Furthermore, he could have been exposed to lyme disease, but have a different issue causing the signs you're seeing. So, it's definitely a judgement call -- and if your funds are more flexible testing again may give you interesting information, but if your funds are more limited, it may make more sense to just treat for tick diseases with an antibiotic like doxycycline. Of course, your vet may see something on the physical exam or general blood work or x-rays that makes them concerned about something else more than tick disease, in which case pursuing that makes sense. I know that's not horribly helpful, but hopefully it gives you some context to think about.

There are many many possible reasons for a kitten to be underweight and flea/tick borne diseases would be only some of them. Giver her refusal to eat despite being malnourished is a serious concern and should be investigated as an emergency by a vet in order to stabilise her condition and rule out any dental or facial pain which may be preventing her from eating and grooming. Tests for flea/tick borne diseases may be recommended also given her history

If Max is allowed outside, he could have gotten into a fight leading to this swelling. Bites from cats can be hard to find sometimes. He also could have injured the leg. I would have this checked out by a vet today.

The weakness and drooling is very concerning and not normal behavior for such a young cat. This may be related to tick borne diseases for weakness from anemia and I strongly recommend an emergency vet visit and blood tests as soon as possible