Lyme dog on meds, now joint pain & lethargy. Is cold weather to blame?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Maemae. Yes dogs do get Lymes disease and the prevalence seems to be spreading. Looks like you live in Maryland and I would suspect that you have Lymes there. I am interested in one detail though. If she was not spayed, it's possible she developed a uterine infection which untreated, can cause death in dogs. If that was the case, she could've developed a sepsis or blood infection which can infect the joints. Again, I'm so sorry to hear about Maemae. My deepest condolences to you.

I'm sorry Thor has Lyme disease! The antibiotics can cause a loss of appetite as a side effect, so that could be why his appetite comes and goes. Lyme disease does cause painful and swollen joints, and that may explain why he doesn't want to get up and walks very stiffly. Difficulty breathing can also be part of the course of the disease. The normal course of treatment with antibiotics for Lyme disease is 30 days, but sometime treatment may go on longer. I would give your vet a call in the morning to let them know you haven't seen any improvement in Thor, and they can advise you if they want you to bring him in for a health check.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Moki. He sounds painful based on the signs you have described. This is most common after vaccinations in small breed dogs. I would recommend contacting your veterinarian this morning. If his physical exam did not reveal any other source of pain, then it is likely due to the vaccine. His veterinarian will likely prescribe a pain medication for him. Do not give any over-the-counter pain meds. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Max! Most dogs with Lyme improve on doxycycline with in 3 days and STAY better. They don't relapse on meds. The most common reason for initially doing well on the doxycycline and then getting worse again is immune mediated polyarthopathy. That is treated with immunosuppressants like prednisone. I would get a second opinion. I wish Max a speedy recovery!

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!

Ticks can pass along diseases, such as Lyme disease, so I would be concerned about that possibility. It can take months for signs of lyme disease to appear, from 2-5 months, so I would monitor Rage for signs of lethargy, swollen joints, painful joints, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. If you see any of those signs, I would have him seen by a vet right away. Make sure the tick is removed completely. If Rage is having problems getting onto the bed, he could be suffering from arthritis, which can be common in middle aged large breed dogs. I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose if he is suffering from arthritis, and can give him some pain meds for it. Rimadyl (an NSAID) is a good drug to give to help with the symptoms of arthritis. I also recommend giving him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjuction with Rimadyl to help maximize relief from his symptoms.

Hello and thank you for your post! I am sorry to hear Jasmine is not feeling well. For lymes disease I typically treat for 6 weeks or longer if symptoms persist. You can recheck for lymes and see if she is still infected by sending out a pcr test. Your vet can do this. The test they run at the clinic is typically a snap test thay checks for antibodies. After being infected with lymes, the body develops antibodies to the disease so animals can test positive for years after the infection has resolved. That is why pcr is better for monitoring treatment. This may also not be lymes. Has she been tested for heartworm disease as well? If not, I would have this done. If she has been declining and is showing new symptoms, I would get her seen by a vet and get her examined and have blood work run to ensure nothing serious is going on. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.