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  1. #1
    Puppy
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    Question 11 year old lab w/lymes disease

    Ok, I need some advise. I just had my 11 year old chocolate lab to the vet for he is constantly drinking and urinating every 15 or so minutes. He has also just developed a limp in his left hind leg. The vet did blood work and took x-rays. They are also doing testing on his urine. He has been diagnosed with lymes disease, has an enlarged prostate and liver. The antibiotics that they prescribed will costs me $1000 for 1 month. I truly cant afford this but if it will help him I will but i need to know if it is worth it or should i consider other options i do not want to see him continue to suffer. So with everything that may be wrong with him and the potential costs of all i would like to get some other opinions.

    Thanks,
    Concerned lab owner...

  2. #2
    Senior Dog shellbell's Avatar
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    Is doxycycline the antibiotic they prescribed? It is most effective against tick diseases, but in very short supply and very expensive right now. When I needed it for Cabo a couple years ago, it was only like $40. My sister had a dog with a tick disease shortly after that, and the doxy was super expensive so the vet gave her minocycline which was cheaper. And it did help him. Maybe your vet could go that route? Or you can sometimes look at compounding pharmacies I think, to maybe find doxy a bit cheaper. An antibiotic is really needed to help the Lyme symptoms.

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  4. #3
    Best Friend Retriever Sue's Avatar
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    It is worth it.
    I am so disgusted with the way the price of doxycycline has gone up. It used to be we could get a week's supply for free at one of our local pharmacies.
    Then there was a "shortage," and the price went way up. Now, according to the FDA, the shortage is way ended, but the price is still ridiculously high. I honestly blame the Affordable Care Act for this, as my take is that since everyone is supposed to have insurance, Big Pharma can now soak the insurance companies for these pills. But, that neglects the pet owner, who needs this for the same reason. I don't think any of the Pet Insurers cover prescription drugs.

    If you don't treat, you risk kidney failure from the Lyme, which Labs are very prone to have. By the sounds of it, it may have started already (drinking and urinating excessively), but I hope I'm wrong.

    There are a few things you can do, one of which is ask for a prescription and shop around. Prices may vary considerably.
    Also ask for doxycyxline monohydrate. My vet prescribed that when I mentioned it is a little cheaper.
    You can also do amoxicillin for Lyme, the dosage is very very high, but that may be an alternative. Ask your vet if he/she feels comfortable using that instead.
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    Abby
    ​Decisions, decisions, decisions


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    “It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”

    Cheryl Zuccaro

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  6. #4
    Best Friend Retriever OHfemail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sue View Post
    There are a few things you can do, one of which is ask for a prescription and shop around. Prices may vary considerably.
    Definitely shop around for prices. A lot of drug stores, grocery stores with pharmacies, and places like WalMart offer pet meds now. I hope that all turns out well...

  7. #5
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    I've had two Labs with Lyme. They would get a course of doxy when they had flare ups, I can't remember what I paid, but I don't remember it being expensive. This was 8 plus years ago though. Elvis had it very bad, and he passed when his kidneys failed.

  8. #6
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    Oh dear..please let us know what antibiotic your Vet prescribed. Doxycycline is the preferred antibiotic...but I didn't think a month supply would cost $1000.00!

    Perhaps, he prescribed something else.

    And YES! It is absolutely worth it to treat your boy...please don't let Lyme go untreated.

  9. #7
    Best Friend Retriever Sue's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lovemylabby View Post
    Oh dear..please let us know what antibiotic your Vet prescribed. Doxycycline is the preferred antibiotic...but I didn't think a month supply would cost $1000.00!
    Yes, unfortunately it does.


    OP, can you tell me what the dosage he wants to give your dog? On a per day basis? There's a way to do it quite a bit cheaper. It's what I did, as I had two dogs needing treatment, and the vet only prescribed one month at minimum dosage. I prefer two months at maximum dosage, so supplemented the prescription ones with the alternative method.

    Let me know, if you come back. I see you haven't logged in since your original post.
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    ​Decisions, decisions, decisions


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    “It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”

    Cheryl Zuccaro

  10. #8
    Puppy stewbert's Avatar
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    Doxy was not that expensive when we needed it a few years ago. You may want to check your pharmacist for prices as well as contact your local Walmart, Target, CVS, etc. as they have all instituted pet Rx programs. Our 12 year old yellow girl has IBD and takes Remeron, which stimulates her appetite. We pay $4.00 at Walmart. Worth a try ...

  11. #9
    Best Friend Retriever Snowco Labradors's Avatar
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    I recently went thru this and vet put my girls on minocycline instead of doxy and it was $100 for 30 days of meds. 400mg. per day. $100 per dog.

    I used Amoxy in the past with a pregnant girl (doxy not safe for breeding) and the dose was much higher but it did the job. 500mg - 2 capsules twice daily = 2000mg/day

    I also run a quantitive c-6 prior to any meds to get a lyme level. Do the meds for 30 days and then 6 months from last dose of meds do another C-6 to see that level came down. Initially you have to run the C-6 prior to starting the antibiotic.

    I would also get on liver support supplements if bloodwork shows elevated liver levels. Here is info for liver support if you need it:

    Liver Disease In Dogs/Chronic Active Hepatitis (CAH) | Hearty Pet Talkin' Tails Blog

    Same for elevated kidney levels. Info on KF support:

    Kidney Failure In Dogs | Hearty Pet Talkin' Tails Blog

    Praying you can treat him and get the less expensive antibiotic.

    You should also give a good live probiotic while on the antib. given 2-3 hours away from the antib. and continue probiotic for a month after treatment of lyme.

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