Kidney Failure in Dogs With Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an illness that affects humans and dogs. It is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, which is primarily carried by the deer tick. A dog will not begin to show signs of Lyme disease until two to five months after being bitten, which is longer than it takes for humans to show symptoms. In addition to the common symptoms, dogs are also at risk for kidney failure when contracting Lyme disease.

  1. Identification

    • Lyme nephritis is the form of Lyme disease that affects a dog's kidney function. Kidney failure caused by this disease could lead to a dog's eventual death if it isn't treated properly. Although it is rare, Lyme nephritis is severe enough to warrant additional blood tests and a urinalysis for any dog that is diagnosed with Lyme disease.

    Symptoms

    • The symptoms of Lyme nephritis are similar to the normal symptoms of Lyme disease. This includes loss of appetite, fever, swollen joints and lymph nodes and lameness. Signs that a dog may also be suffering from Lyme nephritis are increased water consumption and increased urination. When the kidneys are affected, water consumption is greatly affected.

    Diagnosis

    • Lyme nephritis cannot be diagnosed without several tests being done. One test is an antibody test using either a Idexx SNAP 3DX or 4DX or a quantitative C6 antibody level. Blood tests and a urinalysis must also be done to see if there is renal involvement. Once it has been determined the kidneys are being affected (decreased protein levels due to loss through kidneys, abnormal amounts of protein in urine), other tests, such as abdominal radiographs, abdominal ultrasonography, biopsies of the kidney, must be done to rule out other causes of renal failure.

    Treatment

    • Treating Lyme nephritis is the same as treating other forms of renal failure. Treatment options include intravenous fluids; a diet with limited phosphorus, salt and protein; phosphorus binders; calcitriol; antibiotics; ACE inhibitors; feeding tube and dialysis. The antibiotics will help treat the Lyme disease.

    Prognosis

    • Lyme nephritis is not usually discovered right away since the symptoms are similar to regular Lyme disease. Because of this, treatment is not started soon enough and the outlook is poor. Not many dogs are cured of Lyme nephritis and end up dying.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Lyme nephritis can be prevented by preventing Lyme disease altogether. The best way to prevent Lyme disease is through tick control and vaccination. Two doses of the vaccine can be administered three weeks apart once the dog is 12 weeks old. Tick control is also important. Owners should have their pets avoid tick infested areas, use insecticides and periodically check for ticks.