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Pet Health Watch with Dr. Main
Lyme Disease Treatment and Prevention
L
yme disease is caused by a bacterial like organism called
a spirochete. This organism is carried in a particular
species of tick called Ixodes, also known as the “deer tick.”
Humans and dogs become infected with Lyme disease by
the attachment of a deer tick onto their body.
With the disease on the increase
and the outdated belief that
Lyme is “hard to catch and easy
to treat” there is a disconnect
that exists. Lyme disease, which
is a Borrelia organism, has a
complex genome as well as a
complicated interaction with
the dog’s body. Hence there
is a need for the development
of new drugs to neutralize
the Borrelia organism. Some
experts believe that the current
recommended therapy with the antibiotic doxycycline is
not very effective.
The number of Lyme disease cases in people in the United
States has tripled in the last 20 years, and there has been a
corresponding increase of the disease in dogs. There are
400,000 new Lyme disease cases each year in humans. In
fact, the geographic range for Lyme disease now covers
more than half the counties in the United States.
The diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease in both dogs
and people can be difficult, and is not always agreed upon
by the various experts in the field. There are two factors
that contribute to the difficulty and controversy around
Lyme disease. The first factor is that the deer tick likely
carries other pathogenic organisms in addition to the
Lyme spirochete. This means that both dogs and people
become infected with more than one “bug.” The second
factor is the way in which the Lyme organism moves in the
body. This pathogen only stays in the blood stream for a
short time and then dives into the deeper tissues, where it
becomes difficult to test for, difficult to treat, and difficult
for the immune system to locate.
A relatively new injectable antibiotic called cefovecin has
shown to be effective against Lyme disease. This antibiotic
is also known as Convenia, which has a duration of two
weeks from a single injection. This antibiotic is readily
available at your local veterinarian.
As we can see, Lyme disease is a tough problem to deal
with. It is hard to diagnose, hard to treat, and can be
not only painful with joint disease, but fatal with kidney
damage. Hence we must turn to prevention, where
fortunately there are great options to work with.
For dogs, unlike in people, there is a highly effective
vaccine available. The latest version of this vaccine is from
Zoetis, and offers great protection. This vaccine should
be readily available at your local veterinarian. Initially your
pet receives two injections three weeks apart and then the
vaccine is given once per year.
In addition to the vaccine there are highly effective flea
and tick prevention products. The latest and best of these
products include a once per month chewable tablet that
falls into a new class of insecticides called isoxazolines.
Two of these products should be readily available at your
local veterinarian; Nexgard and Simparica. For the past two
years my three Maltese have been treated year round with
Simparica and have done very well.
Another quandary with Lyme disease is determining
how often a dog that is exposed to the disease actually
contracts the ailment. In the past it was believed the
number of dogs that actually became ill with Lyme disease
after exposure was relatively low, only around five percent.
New studies show that in a group of 16 dogs exposed to
the disease 13 developed inflammatory changes in their
joints. This is a scary statistic, indicating that the prevalence
of Lyme disease may be higher than previously thought.
In closing, it should be known that ticks are a threat to the
health of both people and pets. Pets tend to be effected
more often than humans. These tick borne diseases are on
the upswing. Lastly, ticks become active when the outside
temperature rises above 35 degrees; therefore there is a
clear indication for year round flea and tick prevention.
Send questions and suggestions for Pet Health Watch to:
Dr. Main, WSHS, 1901 W. Ogden Ave., Downers Grove, IL 60515
Email: [email protected]
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