Hidden Danger: Understanding Lyme Disease in Dogs and How to Protect Your Pet
Introduction Lyme disease, otherwise known as Lyme Borreliosis, has remained one of the more common tick-borne diseases in the world. It is caused by the infection from spirochete bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. Transmission occurs mainly via Ixodes ticks. Even though well-known, Lyme disease has symptoms in canines which tend to resemble other musculoskeletal and systemic illnesses. Lyme disease in dog Pathogenesis of Infection What is unique in comparison to other pathogens is that symptoms of Lyme disease are not immediate. In fact, after being bitten by an infected tick, it takes 24-48 hours of attachment before the bacteria travels to the saliva glands from the midgut of the parasite and infects the dog. Following the initial infection, the bacteria will disseminate throughout the connective tissue, causing either localized or systemic inflammation. Clinical Presentation Less than 5-10 percent of canine infections result in actual clinical signs; however, when observed,...