Lyme Disease & Doxycycline

[Jen W]

Last night Dory tripped coming up the steps. I just thought she was tired. Twice on walks she's pulled her back leg up and limped for a bit before getting back in sync. I thought she just stepped on something.

But tonight I found a tick on her. It must have been there since Sunday when we went on a hike. Plenty of time.

I pulled the tick out and will take her to the vet tomorrow, but am already scaring myself about Lyme disease. I see that the usual course of treatment is doxycycline. Is there anything i need to know about this before accepting a prescription? Is this like metronidazole which I refuse now? Or is the doxy okay?

Totally kicking myself for not doing a more thorough tick check on Sunday, but trying not to get hung up on things I cannot change.

Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/lyme-disease-and-doxycycli...

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

It is too soon for this to be the result of Lyme Disease...."Lameness in dogs occurs an average of two to five months after tick exposure".  Has Dory been vaccinated for Lyme?

[Jen W]

Everything I read said it could be as soon as 3 days. Regardless, the test came back positive but vet prescribed minocycline instead of doxycline. We're moving ahead with the vet's suggested treatment plan and hoping for the best!

[Kate]

Our goldendoodle (Simon) got bit by a tick earlier this year and got Lyme disease. He wasnt vaccinated but we used the tick preventative each month. The vet was shocked by his diagnosis since most dogs apparently don't show symptoms of Lyme disease. Simon started getting horrible hives which is what led us to getting him tested. In most cases it is easy to treat with the antibiotic you mentioned. Unfortunately, in Simon's case his kidneys were compromised. We ended up losing him to kidney failure less than a week after he was diagnosed. But he had a preexisting kidney condition and the Lyme tipped him over the edge. It was heartbreaking... He was only 4. But you shouldn't worry. 3 days is too early to show symptoms. It took several months for Simon's symptoms to appear. It's still probably smart to get her checked out by the vet for other issues causing her problems. And make sure you are on the lookout for Lyme symptoms over the next few months since she had a tick. Keep us updated!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am so sorry to hear about Simon.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Sending pawsitive wishes for a speedy recovery, especially since it was caught so early.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Here's a link to some excellent information and summaries of current studies on Lyme Disease in dogs.  I found the site when my daughter's Lab was diagnosed, and this is where I got the info on the incubation period.  Hope you find the info helpful, and I'm hoping that she shows improvement quickly...http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/animalhealth/page.php?id=1101

[Karen & Maple]

Could it perhaps be that it was not this recently found tick that was the culprit, but a previously undiscovered one? Either way don't beat yourself up @JenW, those suckers are small! You're doing right by her with the info as you have it.