Tick Borne Diseases

Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by a spiral shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi.  Lyme disease is transmitted by the Ixodes tick, more commonly known as the deer tick.

In dogs, 90% of animals exposed to the Lyme organism do no develop any signs of illness.  Clinical signs of Lyme disease include lameness, stiffness, swelling of the limbs or joints, fever, lethargy, reluctance to move, loss of appetite, vomiting, and depression.  Occasionally, dogs with Lyme disease can develop kidney damage, which can be life-threatening.

A 4DX Snap®, can determine if your dog has been exposed to the Lyme bacteria.  A positive test simply means your dog has been exposed and does not predict disease.  If the test is positive, a wellness screen is needed to determine how your dog is responding to the Lyme exposure.  Monitoring values such as blood counts, kidney values, and screening for protein in the urine are important for all Lyme positive dogs.

Anaplasmosis
Anaplasmosis is a disease caused by an organism similar to the Lyme bacteria and is transmitted by the deer tick.  It can occur on its own, or as a co-infection with Lyme disease.  The clinical signs are similar to Lyme disease and include swollen joints, fever, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea.  As the disease progresses, there may be significant changes in the body, including low platelets and changes in the white blood cells. 

A 4DX Snap® test can determine if your dog has been exposed and a wellness screen is then needed to determine how your dog is responding to exposure to Anaplasma.

Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosis is another tick-borne disease, but is not common in this area.  It is caused by organisms similar to those that cause Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis. The clinical signs include lethargy, fever, and swollen joints.  This can be a very chronic, slowly progressive disease.  Blood work may show anemia, low platelets, liver dysfunction, or abnormal protein levels. 

A 4DX Snap® test can determine if your dog has been exposed and a wellness screen is then needed to determine how your dog is responding to Ehrlichia exposure.