My 6-month puppy has Lyme. Can he take meds and eat raw food?

It's most important right now to get Shep to eat so he can take his medication, so the chicken and rice is fine. Once he's feeling better, you can worry abou transitioning him back to his dog food. I hope this helps!

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.

It's very common for puppies to be a bit sore and lethargic for 24-48 hours after getting a vaccination, just like human kids. Many times, they may not want to eat much or go outside if they are sore. As long as he is alert and responsive, and not having any other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, facial swelling, etc. it should be okay to give him some time and see how he's feeling tomorrow. If you're concerned, you can call your veterinarian at that point or take him in for a recheck exam to make sure that everything is okay.

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.

Poor Ruby! I would make sure the vet knows that she recently has suspected lymes disease to ensure she is on the proper medicine. I would also talk to your vet about running a lyme titer to see if she has an active infection. If not, she may need to be on a different antibiotic to treat other possible diagnoses. I hope this helps!

Hi there, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Diarrhea is not typically a symptom of tickborne disease so this is probably unrelated. Sometimes diarrhea can be a result of antibiotics, but usually it starts earlier in the course of treatment, so the timing doesn't seem related to that either. More likely she got into something that upset her tummy. As long as she's feeling fine, probiotics are a great idea, and you can feed a bland diet of boiled chicken with white rice for a few days. Once her stools improve, mix the rice/chicken mixture with her kibble to gradually switch her back. If the diarrhea doesn't improve over the next few days, and certainly if she starts acting sick (decreased appetite, vomiting, lethargy, etc), then a vet visit is in order. Hope this helps!

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!