How do I know if my dog has Lyme disease? What are the common signs?

Although it's not common, lyme disease can progress to severe kidney disease, which can be difficult to treat and may lead to the death of the dog. Other symptoms of lyme disease include fever, lameness, swollen joints, swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, and anorexia. It can be successfully treated with doxycycline.

A tick must be attached and actively feeding for at least 24 hours before the Lyme organism can be transmitted. If the tick was not engorged, it has not yet fed. Monitor for lameness, lethargy, painful joints, fever or loss of appetite. You can present the tick to your vet for identification if you still have it. Consider a topical preventative, collar or oral preventative to prevent fleas and ticks. Discuss options with your veterinarian.

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!

Symptoms of lyme disease include stiffness when walking, lameness, pain to the touch, fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, and difficulty breathing. If you see any of those signs, take Buster into a vet. I hope this helps!

I am not sure what other systems you are seeing, but soreness of the paws doesn't indicate Lyme disease, if that is the only symptom seen. Soreness is a pretty broad symptom and can mean a number of things including: trauma caused by excessive walking, Lupus (if a particular presentation is seen on the paws- crusting), or even allergies. If you suspect your pet has Lyme disease then the first step is testing through your vet so that he can get started on medication right away to avoid further complications from this disease. Please feel free to repost your question with more information on the other symptoms seen, and also a picture of the paws may help us here to provide you with a more specific answer. Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and take care!

It takes about 2 months for a dog to be positive for Lyme disease. I would wait another 6 weeks and make an appointment with your veterinarian. I would do this earlier if he starts to show signs of Lyme disease. These signs would be limping, not eating, just basically not himself. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Charlie. Oh no, poor boy. Typically signs of Lyme disease include a loss of appetite, fever, reduced energy, lameness, stiffness, and swelling of the joints. It's not typically vomiting, but it could be another tick borne disease. I'm concerned about him, and I think it's best he sees a vet now asap. I would take him into one first thing in the morning. Best of luck.