Canine Lyme Disease and Seizures

Lyme disease is preventable with careful grooming and inspection of your dog.

Canine Lyme disease can be a serious medical condition. Lyme disease is spread to humans and animals by the bite of a deer tick. Once infected with Lyme disease, your dog may suffer from a number of symptoms. If Lyme disease is not treated, these symptoms can progress to serious neurological disorders, including seizures.

Process

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium that is carried by deer ticks. Spirochetes, or spiral shaped bacteria, are located in the stomach of the tick. Ticks feed off of the blood of an animal or human. As they attach themselves to a host, the spirochetes in the stomach move to the salivary glands of the tick. The bacterium then enters the dog's bloodstream. The tick becomes enlarged as it sucks the dog's blood and will fall off in five to seven days.

Considerations

Ticks can be very difficult to remove because, as they attach to the dog, they release a substance that is similar to glue. The head is usually deeply embedded. If the tick is discovered in the first 24 hours, the infection rate is low.

Symptoms

The symptoms of canine Lyme disease usually appear two to five months after the initial tick bite. Some of the symptoms of canine Lyme disease are fever, loss of appetite, pain in the legs and trunk, arthritis, joint swelling and enlarged lymph nodes. If left untreated, neurological complications may develop and can affect functions in the kidneys, heart and joints.

Seizures

Although rare, seizures may occur in canine Lyme disease. The dog may appear to be chocking or foaming at the mouth. There may be an abrupt behavior change, head shaking, tremors, drooling or loss of balance. The dog may lose bladder and bowel functions. If a seizure does occur, you need to make sure that the dog is away from anything that can cause injury to him. If the seizure lasts for more than five minutes, seek emergency veterinarian care immediately.

Diagnosis

Canine Lyme disease can be confirmed by a blood test. If the bacterium that causes Lyme disease is present, your veterinarian will prescribe a tetracycline antibiotic to kill the Lyme infection.

Prevention

You can prevent canine Lyme disease with regular grooming and careful inspection of your dog for ticks. If you live in a high risk area, you may want to consider getting your dog vaccinated for Lyme disease.

References

• The Dog Health Guide: Lyme Disease Dog
• Vetinfo.com: Neurological Disorders Caused by Canine Lyme Disease
• Canine-epilepsy.com: Why Does My Dog Have Seizures?