Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Pets

If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to lifelong health problems for your pet. It's important to keep an eye out for the early symptoms of this dangerous disease in order to help your pet live a healthy, happy life.

  1. What Is Lyme disease?

    • Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by spirochete, a bacterium usually transmitted by the deer tick to your pet. Although the bacterium can be transmitted by other kinds of ticks, the deer tick is the most common transmitter in the United States.

    Warning

    • If left untreated, Lyme disease can become chronic and permanently damage your pet's joint, nerve and even cardiovascular system.

    Considerations

    • Because there's no vaccination to protect your pet, it's important to keep an eye out for early symptoms of Lyme disease, especially if your pet spends a lot of time in wooded areas. Some types of dogs may not exhibit symptoms for up to a year, but most will present at least some symptoms a few days to a few weeks after infection.

    Symptoms

    • Among the symptoms pet owners should watch out for are a visible limp that can shift between legs, a high fever, lethargy and loss of appetite. Swollen lymph nodes are also often present.

    Prevention/Solution

    • If your pet is presenting any combination of these symptoms, it is important to schedule a vet visit as soon as possible in order to confirm the diagnosis and begin antibiotic treatment immediately.