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  1. #1
    Senior Dog JackK's Avatar
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    Lyme Test Positive in a 15 mos old Yellow Lab

    I didn't want to hijack the other thread so I started a new one.

    Ok so it's not been a good couple of weeks for my poor girl, Cassie who is just 15 months old. We make a regular visit to the local dog park at least one night a week. She contracted a papilloma on her lower lip from exposure to an infected dog. I made an appointment with the vet and because I was aware they are contagious I have kept her away from all other dogs. She's still a puppy and cannot understand why she can't go play.

    Well at the visit on Friday, they did her normal checkup and drew blood for heartworm and Lyme tests. I was shocked when the technician came back and said she tested positive for Lyme. I had her vaccinated at 6 months for Lyme. Today the vet's office called to tell me that her C6 titer level was 33. The vet wasn't available today but will call me in the morning to discuss the results. The tech did tell me that under 30 they do not treat and that because Cassie was close to it she wasn't sure what he would recommend. I do not know what the range of results is and whether 33 is awful or not.

    Other than isolating her from other dogs, it turns out the wart will resolve itself. I'm a bit angry that someone brought a dog to the park with it but then again they may not have realized what it was and that it was contagious. I guess I can understand that happening but it still awful to look at this wart.

    From what I can find it seems that younger dogs take a bigger hit from Lyme disease than older dogs. I had not been using a tick control but just purchased a Seresto collar that should provide 6 months of coverage. Again second guessing myself I wish I had spent the $80 before this happened. She loves to run in the woods and part of the decision to get another Lab after my 15 year old Chocolate passed was having a hiking companion. Now I feel awful that I have exposed her to this and it may have long term affects on her health.

    Jack

  2. #2
    House Broken
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    I am battling chronic Lyme myself, and on top of that was just diagnosed again today.

    That being said, I don't vaccinate my dogs for Lyme - the vaccine is bologna and doesn't work and can also cause false positives on snap tests. Also, unless the dog is showing symptoms - don't treat it. Dogs are capable of fighting off Lyme much better than humans are.

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  4. #3
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Someone earlier this month had a pup with a positive Lyme test and a C6 of 36. I'll post it here in case any of the info in that thread is helpful to you. I think 33 is pretty low but whether or not they'll treat it if she's not symptomatic, I couldn't say.

    Lyme disease
    Sue

    Chase 9/29/2006- 6/30/2017 Always in our hearts
    Lark 12/25/2012- 2/2/22
    Henry 7/14/18
    Joey 5/14/2022

    “Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?”

    Mary Oliver, Hidden Content

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  6. #4
    Puppy Loveourlab's Avatar
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    My guy is 18 months and has it.

    We went in at 15 months for yearly boosters and blood. He came back positive on the snap but they didn't do a c6. Just handed us doxycycline and said see ya. So I have no idea what he started at number wise. He was completely asymptomatic.

    We we thought that was that. Until about 2 weeks ago he went from running to limping to completely lame in his left front leg in 3 days. We thought he may have injured himself up north. Lymes never even crossed my mind bc the vet pretty much brushed us off and told us he'd be fine once we treated with doxy.

    I went to a new vet who told me right away upon seeing him it was related to the Lyme. He had a fever too. They sedated him bc he was in so much pain he wouldn't let anyone near without trying to bite. They did an X-ray which showed no injury so he treated it as Lyme.

    He he gave us a 30 day supply of a higher dose and different kind ( capsules compared to the compounded meds the first vet gave us) of doxycycline and pain/anti inflammatory meds. He also drew blood to send off to find out his levels.

    Told us if it was Lyme related we would see improvement in a couple days. It wasn't 6 hours after his first dose and he was actually walking on his leg. Still limping but actually putting weight on it. I cried. Within 24 hrs he was 100%.

    We we got th results a week later and he was a 36.

    What he thinks happened was the first treatment didn't take care of it like it should have. He said protocol is over 30, treat. But he respects anyone's choice to treat regardless of the number.

    Its a fairly harmless med, if it were my pup I'd treat and retest in 6 months.

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  8. #5
    Best Friend Retriever Snowco Labradors's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Taylor View Post
    I am battling chronic Lyme myself, and on top of that was just diagnosed again today.

    That being said, I don't vaccinate my dogs for Lyme - the vaccine is bologna and doesn't work and can also cause false positives on snap tests. Also, unless the dog is showing symptoms - don't treat it. Dogs are capable of fighting off Lyme much better than humans are.
    I have to disagree with this advice. My one girl had "no symptoms" but her C-6 was just over "300", treated came down to 17 and a year later down to 10. No way I was not going to treat her. Lyme can lead to kidney failure if untreated. My other girl had symptoms and her c-6 was 100, treated and came down to 0.

    As to the OP with the dog's C-6 of 33..... I may consider not treating. Talk to your vet and make an informed decision.

    Folks, the problem with not treating a dog with no symptoms but C-6 is over 30 is that they will most likely test positive on next years snap test. You have no idea if they were bit by another tick and the levels could be much higher this time (or is it that no treatment prior keeps the number there and results in a positive test). Therefore, for the sake of the dog you need to do another C-6 to be sure. That test in my area is over $100. I chose not to do another treatment on my girl that came down to 17 and then 10. But if she tests positive next Feb I will run another C-6 to be safe and if she is anything over 0 I will treat her in the hopes of getting her to 0 and future snaps being negative.

    Note: this (300) dog could not be treated with Doxy because of an upcoming breeding so I wonder if the Amoxi (safe for breeding)did not bring her to 0 but Doxi would have. My other girl (at 100) was treated with Doxy and came down to 0.

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  10. #6
    Senior Dog JackK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loveourlab View Post
    My guy is 18 months and has it.

    We went in at 15 months for yearly boosters and blood. He came back positive on the snap but they didn't do a c6. Just handed us doxycycline and said see ya. So I have no idea what he started at number wise. He was completely asymptomatic.

    We we thought that was that. Until about 2 weeks ago he went from running to limping to completely lame in his left front leg in 3 days. We thought he may have injured himself up north. Lymes never even crossed my mind bc the vet pretty much brushed us off and told us he'd be fine once we treated with doxy.

    I went to a new vet who told me right away upon seeing him it was related to the Lyme. He had a fever too. They sedated him bc he was in so much pain he wouldn't let anyone near without trying to bite. They did an X-ray which showed no injury so he treated it as Lyme.

    He he gave us a 30 day supply of a higher dose and different kind ( capsules compared to the compounded meds the first vet gave us) of doxycycline and pain/anti inflammatory meds. He also drew blood to send off to find out his levels.

    Told us if it was Lyme related we would see improvement in a couple days. It wasn't 6 hours after his first dose and he was actually walking on his leg. Still limping but actually putting weight on it. I cried. Within 24 hrs he was 100%.

    We we got th results a week later and he was a 36.

    What he thinks happened was the first treatment didn't take care of it like it should have. He said protocol is over 30, treat. But he respects anyone's choice to treat regardless of the number.

    Its a fairly harmless med, if it were my pup I'd treat and retest in 6 months.
    My Cassie has just started limping a little on the front paw. I swear she knows how to pull on my heart strings. I'm second guessing the limp because she was playing on the lawn the other day and jumped in the air and yelped. I assumed it was her normal routine - she stomps on ants or bees and then eats them. I figured she stomped on a bee and it stung her but I can't find any marks on the pad. She walks fine on asphalt but is now afraid of walking on the grass and limps when she does. So now is it the Lyme or a bee sting.

    The vet hasn't called yet today but I am leaning towards treating it. The day he drew the blood he said "we believe in treating any dog with a C6 titer above 30" so 33 is above 30.

    I hope we can return to hiking and the dog park soon. I'll sleep better once I know that things are OK with her. She is my sidekick for sure.

    Here's a photo from our last adventure in a local state forest.



    Thanks everyone for the information and guidance. I'll let you know what we hear from the vet today.

    Jack

  11. #7
    Puppy Loveourlab's Avatar
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    What a beautiful girl! Looking back between the positive snap and his recent pain and lameness, we had noticed intermittent limping, especially in the morning.

    I I would treat and retest, especially if you've noticed some limping. Could it be from an injury? Sure. But with a positive Lyme diagnosis you just never know.

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  13. #8
    Senior Dog JackK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loveourlab View Post
    What a beautiful girl! Looking back between the positive snap and his recent pain and lameness, we had noticed intermittent limping, especially in the morning.

    I I would treat and retest, especially if you've noticed some limping. Could it be from an injury? Sure. But with a positive Lyme diagnosis you just never know.
    You called it! The vet just called, treat and re-test 6 months after the treatment is completed. Thanks again for the information.

    Has anyone had any experience with the Seresto collar? I bought that as well to hopefully prevent her from being exposed again. It says that it good for 8 months protection except if the dog swims more than 2x per month (6 months if so). With Cassie being a lab and me with a boat on the water in Newport, RI she'll be swimming a lot more then 2x per month.

    Jack

 



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