Lyme Disease

[Rabbit Huntin Fool]

What medications are helpful in countering Lyme disease?

[nb11]

go to vet. It just gets an antibiotic.

[Chris Shoopman]

I have a friend that has a dog with it, the dog has been on a 2 pills 2times a day for bout 3 months vet said it usually takes 6 months to get over

[Rabbithoundjb]

I am treating 1 of mine for it right now with Doxycycline 100mg 1 pill every 12 hours with food. She has been on it for about 20 days and appears to be getting better, time will tell. My vet perscribed it for 30 days.

[IVTA]

Curious as to what the symptoms were?

[Rabbithoundjb]

This was how Easy acted. She first started acting stange, not really hunting like herself, didn't want to pack, getting out of place, all way out of character for her. Then she begin acting sluggish like she didn't feel good and then she started picking at her food. Having raised this dog and her being almost 6 I new all of these things were not her. At first I tought her hearing was bothering her because she was getting out of place but I couldn't see any obvious problems with her ears. When her eating started slowing down and her weight started dropping I thought it might be kidneys but she didn't stop eating and she didn't seem to be drinking a lot of water and she still had some pink to her gums. I am glad I am a bit of a skeptic because organ problems just didn't make sence to me so I carried her to the vet and whala, lyme disease.

[bluemouse]

Last year I posted on lyme disease and syptoms of lyme disease with one of my males. I took the hounds to the vet for shots and A check up, every other year I get blood test run to check for heartworms etc. vet comes in and tells me marrio has lyme disease. I ask him some question about how it effected a hound. Then it all made sense to me, when I run to get hounds in shape for the season and first part of the rabbit seasonI run them pretty hard and when I would get home my hound would get were he could not get up in his back end, I thought I was just running the gears out from under him, the vet told me that this was a sign of lyme disease. After acouple days rest he would get up and be ready to roll again. Vet said there was no cure for lyme disease just prevention and some meds to help with effects. On a good note I have run him hard the last couple of weekends with no ill effects.

[Rabbithoundjb]

Dave I have her in my heat box and man she about tears it apart when I load the other dogs. I hate leaving her at home but maybe after the meds, time will tell. I'll give you a call soon, I am looking forward to coming down and hunting with you guys again this year. I had a blast last year. JAMES

[bluemouse]

Hey, James looking forward to that weekend, been running the potlickers pretty hard the last couple of weeks, got one of the pups going good, the other one is in heat, this pup might be able to run with them wind splitters you got. Ryans little mini-mae hound has had some teeth pulled and infection so she's been out of action for two weeks. Come on down we will cook and have some laughs after we make them bunnies run for their lives. remember the little corner we run last year with my hounds and the rabbit swam the canal, well we run it again last weekend and he did it to us again next time we are going to post someone on the road to see where he goes across the canal or just swims down the middle, We had seven hounds on him last week and he could not shake-um in the pond so he went to the deep water.lol Its been pretty good just needs to cool down and stay there for the next month.

[tiffinis]

Doxycycline is the standard treatment these days. My lab just came off of 81 days of it. It had him crippled up to the point I thought I was going to have to put him down. But just 4 days after starting meds, he was bouncing around like a pup again. Just a big NOTE here. If your dogs can get Lyme, so can you. It is way easier to get your hound tested and treated for Lyme disease then it is you. My DH has been fighting Lyme for several years now. Basically our local hospital refuses to test for it or treat for it unless they see a bulls eye rash that they cant ignore. Only 30% of cases even get the "rash". Even then if the are using the AB test it is less then 40% accurate on people. There is a more accurate test that costs around $1200 and insurance wont cover it. This can make a 35 yr old man walk around like he is 90, stooped, stiff, cranky. The slippery slope of this disease can take some serious turns with your heart and your mind. Take care, I have seen first hand how this can take the life and hunt out of a person!!

[Drop_tine]

I ask him some question about how it effected a hound. Then it all made sense to me, when I run to get hounds in shape for the season and first part of the rabbit seasonI run them pretty hard and when I would get home my hound would get were he could not get up in his back end, I thought I was just running the gears out from under him, the vet told me that this was a sign of lyme disease. After acouple days rest he would get up and be ready to roll again.

Took one in today after noticing his back end giving out/getting stiff on him. She said his knees felt like bone rubbing bone when moving them back and forth. She thinks it's lyme disease. Have 3 weeks of meds and go back for a follow up the end of the month.

[Rabbithoundjb]

Dave I do remember that race at the canal and they did a fine job that day too. Glad to hear your pups are making progress. I raised 2 litters last year and I am puppy poor right now but the good news is 8 of the 12 I have are started. I will have a lot of work to do when gun season ends. Dave how easy is to get oysters and clams down that way in Febuary (if not to difficult) I was thinking steaming some one night might be a plan, what do you think.

[Rabbit Huntin Fool]

Were any of the symptom lack of appetitte or refusal to eat hard feed?

[Rabbithoundjb]

Yes RHF Easy did not refuse hard food but picked at it. She eat can food mixed with table food and Buddy boy much better and is still not eating dry food.

[HatterasBob]

Rob,
Check to breath of your dog. If it smells like ammonia, it is Kidney disease. Lyme is lameness usually in the hind legs, loss of appetite is usually kidneys. I had a blood test a few years back and tested positive for lyme.
Bob