Lyme disease

[Jakezilla]

Just heard a friends dog was diagnosed with Lyme Nephritis and will probably be dead within a couple weeks.

http://lapoflove.blogspot.com/2012/1...-dogs.html?m=1

Don't kid yourself, Lyme disease can kill.

[vom Dufenshmirtz]

I don't know what he means by this

The lyme vaccine is controversial at this time, and people seeking this vaccine should speak with their veterinarian at length about its use and benefits/side effects. At the least, every dog receiving this vaccine should first be tested for lyme exposure.

There are few out there, only one I know proven to work - Nobivac.

[Jakezilla]

I haven't heard of one that is 100% effective yet. The best numbers I have heard from people in the know is only about 70% effectiveness.

[vom Dufenshmirtz]

I will see if I can find the Nobivac study, they essentially exposed bunch of dogs (poor sods) to tick infestation and tested for Lyme infection.

Here's pretty good info, I haven't seen before, but it's a bit dated - 2007

http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.ed...ge.php?id=1101

while more than 75 percent of the dog population in hyper-endemic areas may be exposed to infected ticks, only about five percent of those exposed actually develop clinical signs that might be attributable to Lyme disease. Within endemic areas, “hot spots” of tick infestation where dogs have a much greater probability of acquiring an infection are intermingled with non-infested areas

1. History of exposure to ticks in an endemic area.
2. Typical clinical signs (lameness with or without fever).
3. A positive antibody test.
4. A prompt response to antibiotic therapy.

One or two of these criteria alone are usually not sufficient to confirm a diagnosis.

Should antibiotic treatment be initiated on dogs found carrying Ixodes ticks?
The question is only relevant in endemic areas. If dogs are exposed frequently to ticks, treatment is impractical. Besides, infection of dogs only occurs after at least partial engorgement of ticks. The risk of infection, therefore, is greatly reduced if the ticks are removed from dogs on a daily basis. Because treatment in dogs is highly effective, many veterinarians initiate treatment only after the onset of clinical signs.

[vom Dufenshmirtz]

http://www.merck-animal-health.ca/Pr.../efficacy.aspx

[Cass]

Anyone know how long it takes to show itself? Lyme disease worries me greatly, my guy got a few ticks this fall before switching from Revolution to Advantix II. 2 or 3 of them were fully engorged before I found them (long black hair hides them well). Are there signs to watch for?

[Tim Tufts]

Anyone know how long it takes to show itself? Lyme disease worries me greatly, my guy got a few ticks this fall before switching from Revolution to Advantix II. 2 or 3 of them were fully engorged before I found them (long black hair hides them well). Are there signs to watch for?

Lameness and lack of energy are generally the first signs.
We had 4 dogs come up with it last spring.
PA is so over run with deer ticks that a lot of bird dog folk have given up on vaccines and revolution and just treat the symptoms with antibiotics.

[Ugo]

My Emma was diagnosed with it last year. I got her back from out west and she had lost a lot of weight which can happen because she is a demon and depletes herself. I then noticed that when I released her from the truck tailgate, she was desperate to go hunting but kept running along the tailgate - back and forth, back and forth. I remember thinking, "This dog is losing it!" So, I'd help her down and away she'd go like she was fit as a fiddle. My son came to get her one day (another story) but as she was about to got out the door, she looked up at me with a very sad expression. ??? We know our dogs right? I told my son, "She's not going anywhere. Tomorrow morning first thing, I'm taking her in to the Vet."
Next morning, I took her in and sure enough, she tested positive for Lyme disease. The reason she paced at the tailgate was because as excited as she was, her joints must have been aching and jumping down had been very painful. I was pretty upset at the time because I should have keyed in sooner but....
Anyway, we treated her and then went back 6 months later for a follow-up test. There is a residual - which broke my heart - but the Vet said, that CAN happen and for me to just let her hunt but monitor her.
It has been a dream this past season with her - out west (Huns/sharpies), up north (grouse/woodcock) and locally (woodcock). Perhaps she's not quite as fast as she was but she's as relentless as ever and even more effective! For example, out west the winds were outrageous hitting a high of 115 klms the one day! Because of the winds, birds change their habits. When we figured them out, they were in a place where they could see you coming from a LONG way off! One time, after stacking up in an expansive cut-barley field she held steady facing due north. I hustled up and made ever-widening sweeps trying to flush the covey. I was unproductive but I know Emma and like other dogs, she doesn't lie! So, I tapped her on but she wheeled 180 degrees and started running south! Now, I'm thinking, "Wow....this could be the old girl's last year out here. She is completely losing it!"
So, south she goes, starts curling west, rips waaaay up north again, starts curling east and BAM...she's on point again! We eventually got some shots off but they were long because the covey could see us approaching. She did this on three separate occasions. I had to accept that she knew better than the guy with the gun that our typical techniques needed to be adjusted because of the winds. ....amazing.
She is 10 years old and going strong. She is near me as a type this, in her dog bed toasty warm, quiet and regal. She's not a barker. She doesn't counter surf. She is incredibly gentle around adults, other dogs and young children alike. You wouldn't even know there is a dog in here! Yet, go for your hunting gear and her eyes just light up!
I dread the day.......

[Cass]

Wow that's terrible that its so prevalent. Glad I have Advantix now, hope it keeps them away. Once I put it on this fall I never pulled any more off of him.

[The Wife]

Wow that's terrible that its so prevalent. Glad I have Advantix now, hope it keeps them away. Once I put it on this fall I never pulled any more off of him.

As they say, an ounce of prevention!