My Labradoodle struggles to walk and stand. Could it be a tick bite?

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.

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.

These symptoms are very suspicious of a tick born disease such as tick fever, babesiosis or lyme disease. you should take him back to your vet and request a blood test to identify those potential blood parasites, treatment is with some very specific medications and antibiotics.

I'm sorry to hear that Kirou has not been feeling well. The swelling on her muzzle is certainly quite prominent. Lameness that shifts between different legs and joints is most commonly caused by tick-borne diseases (such as lyme disease), but could also be due to immune-mediated or other infectious diseases. At this point, Kirou should go back to her vet for a recheck and some diagnostic testing. Blood tests are available to determine if tick borne diseases are present. If extra fluid is palpable in any of her joints, the vet may need to draw out a sample for analysis. Biopsies may also be needed of the lesions on her muzzle. Kirou's clinical signs are a bit unusual and will require some testing to get to the bottom of the issue. I hope that she's on the mend soon!

Hello, sorry to hear about Baloo. It could indeed be lyme disease and he may need either amoxicillin or doxycycline. Before staring him on antibiotics, you can test him for lyme disease with a snap test. If positive, then this could be more of a reason to start him on antibiotics. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would be looking into the possibility of this being something affecting the joints per se such as immune mediated polyarthritis or perhaps something like hypertrophic osteodystrophy given his young age. These are possible things your veterinarian can look into. Treatment of course would depend on findings. At the very least they can try pain control medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. Best of luck!

When I was reading Rudi's issues my first thought was a tick borne disease such as Lyme. A tick borne disease or autoimmune disease are both highly likely. A 4dx test or tick panel should be run to see if that is what is what is causing his symptoms.