My vaccinated dog tested positive for Lyme. Is it an active infection?

They are correct. You don't need to worry if Lilly isn't sick. The test is only showing that she has been exposed to the disease(s). It does not mean she is sick or will become sick. I personally would not be worried about it but if you are, then you should make an appointment with a full service veterinarian in your area for a consultation. There is no harm in doing that. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, Lyme disease is still possible. Sometimes a test could have a false negative result meaning that it says negative when the dog does actually have the infection. Of course, the other possibility is that she does not have Lyme disease and has something else going on. It would be indicated to test again if they are suspicious or check for other diseases or treat empirically with an antibiotic like doxycycline to see if things improve. Good luck and have a great day!

Unfortunately both lyme and erhlichia can cause an infection again, even after initial treatment. I would recommend treating her since she has clinical signs, but also ask your vet if they can run a PCR test to confirm active infection, rather than just exposure. That was you can be sure this infection isn't just from last year. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

Hi there. If you're asking about Vetco clinics, they do offer the 4Dx screening test which checks for antibodies to Lyme disease as well as other tick-borne diseases like Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. Be aware that the test will not show positive for at least 4-6 weeks after exposure.

Babesia, just like all the other tick borne diseases, can show up positive on the snap test, because the snap test confirms exposure and not always current infection. As long as Danny's bloodwork does not show current low platelets or anemia, then he is likely free of infection. Just expect him to be positive on the screening test for a while, and monitor him for any recurring symptoms, which would indicate a repeat infection. The fact that he is clinically ok now, is a good sign that he is free from true infection. : ) I would also make a point to keep him on a tick/flea preventative to help protect him from future infections. Best wishes with your pet Danny moving forward! Take care.

No vaccine is 100% and there are other tick borne illness with similar symptoms that maybe transmitted to dogs. You can monitor for any joint pain, lethargy, or bruising on her skin. If that is noted then make an appointment to have her tested.