Learning About Lyme Disease in Dogs, Symptoms and Treatments
By: Kelly Marshall
Submitted: 2009-02-05 09:39:47 | Word Count: 506
Lyme disease is a relatively new dog ailment that has been found to be affecting the Midwestern and north western parts of the United States. The reason that it has been attracting extra attention is that it can easily be transmitted to humans. But since 1975 it has been an even greater source of concern as its effects are now observed around almost forty states of the united states of America.
• Sources of infection: the Lyme disease is caused by a microscopic parasite called deer tick, the main hosts of which happen to be the White footed mice and White tailed deer. The ticks attach themselves on the bodies of the mice or deer that may brush against long wooded areas of long grassed plants. These swampy outgrowths are the breeding grounds for these ticks as neither can they fly nor walk.
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• Mode of attack: ticks can attack a dog anywhere, irrespective of body parts; it can be the head, ears, neck or feet. Since their bites cause very little pain, unlike the stinging of a bee, it is not unusual to see dogs covered with ticks and not show any signs of discomfiture.
• Symptoms: the very first sign is the rise in the dog’s temperature. This is combined by a peculiar limping and restlessness in the dog. What follow is warmth, pain and swelling in the joints. There can also be another very obvious sign but a bit difficult to detect as it can be hidden by the coat of the dog. It is a wide round area of inflammation that could have been caused around the tick bitten skin. So keep a good eye for these kinds of symptoms and especially for the last one.
• Treatment measures: contact a vet as soon as you are convinced that your dog is suffering from the dreaded Lyme disease. Remember if detected early and given proper medications, your dog may actually survive the ailment and even fight against it.
But if you neglect it and consult a vet only after the disease has graduated to an advanced stage, it might have serious repercussions. Your dog may actually suffer from paralysis of limbs. And worst if you leave it untreated. In that case the disease attacks the front and hind limbs first and then progresses to grasp the chest muscles to disable them; this has the instantaneous consequence of crippling the respiratory system and thus causing the dog to choke or asphyxiate.
If your dog shows any of the above symptoms or a combination of them, do not delay that visit to the vet. Often it has been observed that dogs suffering from advanced Lyme disease require hospitalization.
Spring through to the fall is the period when the dogs are extremely susceptible to this infection. So prevent taking them to the zoo during these times and make sure that you don’t have any rats in your home as well.
And thus you have learning about lyme disease in dogs, symptoms and treatments. Print out to keep handy.
