Your 5-year-old Golden Retriever, Sunny, has been limping for 3 days. One leg is swollen at the joint. You removed a tick from him last week after a hike. Could it be Lyme disease?
Borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted by Ixodes ticks. Clinical signs include fever, lethargy, lymphadenopathy, and shifting leg lameness (arthritis). The Parasitology Specialist explains: Tick exposure + lameness + swollen joint = consider Lyme. 4Dx or C6 test confirms. The Bloodwork OCR helps interpret C6 antibody results.
Doxycycline for 28–30 days at 5–10 mg/kg BID. The Internal Medicine Specialist outlines dosing. Response is typically rapid—lameness improves within 24–48 hours. Positive C6 without clinical signs may not require treatment (exposure vs disease). Nephritis (Lyme nephritis) is rare but serious—monitor kidney values in positive dogs.
Use Bloodwork OCR, Internal Medicine Specialist, and Parasitology Specialist for Lyme workup and treatment.
- Tick exposure + lameness = consider Lyme disease.
- C6 or 4Dx test confirms exposure/antibodies.
- Doxycycline 28–30 days—standard treatment.
- Rapid response—lameness improves quickly with treatment.
- Tick prevention reduces risk—use year-round in endemic areas.