Lyme Disease
For the last 2 years, we have been doing the 4DX-Snap test - it covers 3 tick-borne diseases, as well as heartworm. Prior to that, we just did the regular HW test. Well, got a big surprise - Chewie came up positive for Lyme!  We are not a high risk area at all - it is out there, but not nearly as prevalent as many areas. Chewie is totally asymptomatic (thank goodness), and he started his 6 week course of Doxycycline tonight. If we hadn't switched to the 4DX - I never would have known....  until likely when he was already really affected and had symptoms. If you have the option of doing the 4DX - please do it!! |
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| Thanks for the heads up Dawn. Baley and Baxter go in for their annual Heartworm test next week. I will ask about this. Glad you caught it early with Chewie-- Does Lyme Disease affect animals the same way as humans? |
sheepiezone wrote: Thanks for the heads up Dawn. Baley and Baxter go in for their annual Heartworm test next week. I will ask about this. Glad you caught it early with Chewie-- Does Lyme Disease affect animals the same way as humans? Yes, it affects dogs pretty much like it does with us humans. Good luck with the boys at their appt! |
| Thanks for the info. My vets test for Lyme as well, but maybe it's because our house backs up to a golf course surrounded by hundreds of acres of forest preserve. All manner of critters find their way through my neighborhood, and all too often, my backyard. With the warm winter, I think we are in for it this year from the insect world. I pulled two ticks out of Oscar's fur this week.....UGH...... Normally, we don't see them until May. Luckily, I started Oscar on his Frontline early, so the ticks I found were slooooooooowwwwwwly wandering around in his fur, dazed and confused from the toxins.  Just now, I sucked up a HUGE wasp with my vacuum cleaner. The insects are taking over!!!!!!!!Laurie and Oscar |
| Darn. Sorry to hear that. Glad you caught it. I was told last week that one of mine had a weak indication for lyme on the 4Dx. We discussed doxy (no question we were going to use it) and doing a Lyme Quant C6 to monitor treatment (again absolutely). Then the tech told doc that wasn't MY dog's test. Hey, I'm all for good news and had taken the lyme news in stride so all was cool.  We are in a lower risk area too but I'm 100% aware now that local dogs do test positive so it definitely supports annual testing.I've specifically requested the 4Dx last year and found it was what my vet's practice uses (checks for heartworms, ehrlichiosis, Lyme and anaplasmosis). http://www.idexx.com/view/xhtml/en_us/s ... f#Benefits May as well do all 4 with one blood draw. |
Poor Chewie  The first tick of the year in our house was found last week....ON MY HEAD!!! Fortunately it was not attached and I just happen to feel it while touching my hair  Both dogs got their frontline several weeks ago due to the weather. We don't have a fenced in yard so they mostly walk on leash with occasional dog park trips. We live in a wetland area with trails....so lot-o-bugs  |
| Any chance of a false positive? Let's hope the Doxi doesnt result in dire-rear! Will the regime cause a cesation in activities? |
SheepieBoss wrote: :phew: Any chance of a false positive? Let's hope the Doxi doesnt result in dire-rear! Will the regime cause a cesation in activities?It was a really strong positive. He may get a bit sick from the Doxy - nausea was the most common side effect noted. He is getting it in a pill pocket, with his meals. It's pretty good timing for us, as it's kind of a lull between sport seasons and activities. We have our lure coursing CAT tomorrow, but nothing really after that. I'll see how he does...if he's OK w/ it we can enter an agility trial or two...and in mid April we have another pack hike with the Mal Club. So, we'll see! I'm just glad it was caught before he got sick or symptomatic.  |
got sheep wrote: I'm just glad it was caught before he got sick or symptomatic.  I'm glad too, he got the best chances then - hope he still can do the agility: And have fun!  Very interesting that you test for tick-borne diseases: We don't do that in Norway before the animal is ill, even though I walk in areas with a lot of ticks every summer. I use Frontline spot on to protect her - it doesn't always kill the ticks. (Joy was tested o'course because she got ill and she got some ticks last summer) A study some years ago showed that 75% of the dogs that was tested in the south part of Norway, Sørlandet, had had an Borrelia infection at least once in there lives. I'll tell my vet what they do in US and ask if I could do the same. |
| Dawn, thanks for the info and glad you found out before Chewie started getting sick. I will make sure I request this test when Teddy gets his check up soon. I found several dead ticks on him last fall from our trips to starved rock and he did have one that was attached on his face close to his nose. The ticks have been out here since early March. Nice warm winter was nice for us humans but bad because the bugs are out early. Cindy |
| Poor Chewie, the medication should clear it out completely? |
| When Brick was tested last week for HW/Lyme/etc, it came back negative. When I had him in today, I asked the vet which test they do and she said the Snap 4DX test. She said it's the only one that should be done around here because of the prevelance of ticks in this region. I was glad to hear it was the Snap 4DX4DX test. |
| I am sorry that Chewie is going thru this. Poor boy, and you Dawn. Thank God he is a healthy active dog and will do well. Get better soon Chewie. |
| The plan is that by treating with the Doxycyline right away, it should do the trick! Our vet (and most vets) do recommend treating right away with a positive test....no matter whether there are any symptoms present or not. I was all for treating quick and hard! We are a week into the doxy - so far, so good.  |
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