I am new to this site. Last month our 9 1/2 year old lab tested a strong positive for lymes. We have been using Frontline EVERY month, never missed a vaccination, and he had absolutley NO SYMPTOMS, so naturally we were shocked that he has lymes. Our vet gave us 30 days of antibiotics and said he will be fine. Last week he completed the medication and he seemed to be doing okay. The past couple of days he is having difficulities picking up treats off the floor, won't shake his head like he normally does, and now is having problems getting up off the floor when he is laying on his side. If you help him right under his shoulder/neck area he will bounce right up. We went back to the vet today, she thinks he is getting old, did blood work and gave him an anti-inflam shot. Once we get the blood work results she might want to put him on an oral anti-inflam. Please help b/c he was fine before his vet visit 1 month ago!

Could he still have Lyme disease? I believe it affects the joints as well.

Thank you for responding! Yes, the vet said that Bailey will test positive for lymes for a long time, even after the antibiotic. I guess we will have to wait and see, but I just want him to be in as little pain as possible.

Your lab is ADORABLE!!!

Thank you for responding! Yes, the vet said that Bailey will test positive for lymes for a long time, even after the antibiotic. I guess we will have to wait and see, but I just want him to be in as little pain as possible.

Your lab is ADORABLE!!!

Thank you so much! Toby is my pride and joy!

Please keep us posted on your dog's progress. I am also always afraid of this disease...My Vet told us that the vaccine is not 100% and they still can get Lyme disease even if vaccinated.

Just to let you know...I also have a 14 year old Sheltie ( also named Bailey!) that is on an oral anti-inflammatory for his arthritis and he does wonderful on "Metacam". Some vets will want to prescribe Rimadyl and I have heard of many Labs that do not do well on this...it can have some bad side effects.

To my understanding if your dog is still testing positive after only one month of treatment, he still has lyme disease, and I strongly urge that you treat again with the doxycycline until he comes up negative.

I went through this in 2003 with coleman they only treated him once in VA and nothing more was said, even though he tested positive again a month later. Coleman didn't show any signs either always taking his monthly flea, tick and heartworm. He tested positive again in 2004 here in WV and no treatment was rendered the blood lab/vet thought he had had the vaccination??? In 2005 he was diagnosed with Lupus. The beginning of 2006 I finally took him in for a second opinion. He was and is still being treated with doxycycline. He just finished on doxcy this last week, he goes in next month for his senior panel and his lyme re-test. Can you ask your vet again about treatment? I know there are vets that treat and have treated high positives for lyme and have come back with negative results. That is what i am looking for in Coleman.

Coleman was also taking 100mg of deramaxx every day and he was still uncomfortable moving around alot struggling to get up and find a comfortable spot. Since switching to his new vet and starting treatment for lyme he is as of this past week down from 111lbs to 91lbs, takes 50 mg of deramaxx every other day along with synovi G3 every day, he is up and playing with his siblings, and most importantly his big labbie smile greats me every day.

I recently had a discussion on Lyme with a vet and a pup buyer who had her pup tested.

Her pup was vaccinated for Lyme and her vet told her the snap test was not sufficient because of the vaccination. More in depth test was done but vet also said that it very often can come back as a false positive. The test came back negative however.

A vet I spoke directly to says that the snap test does work on dogs that have been vaccinated.

Who do we believe here? I will be at my vet in a few weeks and will be asking his opinion.

Does your dog act like he is in pain at all or when he is trying to lift his head and shoulders to get up? I ask because my senior once had a slipped disc in her neck causing pain and the inability to rest or stay in one place. X-rays diagnosed the disc and steriods were given. She made a full recovery.

I pray that you can get this cleared up. Its so hard when they get old:(

Thank you for all of your responses and well wishes! Bailey has responded VERY well to the glucos. & anti-inflam (Rimydel). He is like a puppy again. His only issue now is that he keeps licking/biting his butt....do you think this is a side effect from the Rimydel?

My vet said that Bailey should not be retested for lyme's for at least 4 months b/c the test will be positive no matter what......should I insist he be retested?

My vet did say he could possibly have a slipped disc and the treatment would be steroids, but since he is responding well to the glucos & anti-inflam it isn't likely.

Glad to hear that Bailey is doing and feeling better. :) For Bailey biting at his butt it might be an anal glands issue ? I don't know that much about Rimydel side effects, but with deramaxx it is a change in eating habits, water intake, stool etc.

For the lyme test - a positive result means he has lyme disease.

This is where I was with his previous vet - they assumed he had been vaccinated and he wasn't! He was coming up positive and they kept telling me he would always be positive. Even when he was diagnosed with lupus they still kept saying his test results were fine. He is on doxy for 3 weeks then off for 2 and retested.

I thought that was strange about still testing positive for a few months even if he didn't have lyme's anymore. I will look into it and have him retested...THANKS!

Two vets explained to me that once you test positive for lyme, you will most likely always test positive in the future. It's because they're testing for the antibodies for the lyme bacteria not the bacteria itself. The antibodies will still be around for a long time after the bacteria is gone. There are other non-lyme antibodies that also produce a false positive. Usually the diagosis depends on symptoms (e.g., bulls eye rash) in addition to positive results for both lyme tests. It's interesting that the treatment (doxycycline) provides a 100% cure rate. So if you've completed the treatment as prescribed, you shouldn't have to repeat it unless there's reason to beleive your lab has been re-infected.