(no subject)

King's second blood test came back positive for Lyme, so we started treatment. Doxycycline for a month, then a special test in six months to determine how much, if any, active infection remains.

Dammit.

UPDATE: a good website about the disease. As a rule, it isn't as serious for dogs as it can be for people. In fact, it is possible that even though King tests positive for the bug, he may not actually be sick:

The Borrelia burgdorferi organism is fairly well suited to live in the canine body without causing trouble. Most exposed dogs harbor the organism uneventfully and never get sick.

But.

The dog’s the most serious long term potential regards “glomerular disease.” This is a type of kidney damage that occurs when the immune system is stimulated over a very long time by a latent infectious organism (or other immune stimulus). This is a much more insidious problem for which special testing is needed.

Which is why we're treating King even though he is showing no symptoms.

(no subject)

King's second blood test came back positive for Lyme, so we started treatment. Doxycycline for a month, then a special test in six months to determine how much, if any, active infection remains.

Dammit.

UPDATE: a good website about the disease. As a rule, it isn't as serious for dogs as it can be for people. In fact, it is possible that even though King tests positive for the bug, he may not actually be sick:

The Borrelia burgdorferi organism is fairly well suited to live in the canine body without causing trouble. Most exposed dogs harbor the organism uneventfully and never get sick.

But.

The dog’s the most serious long term potential regards “glomerular disease.” This is a type of kidney damage that occurs when the immune system is stimulated over a very long time by a latent infectious organism (or other immune stimulus). This is a much more insidious problem for which special testing is needed.

Which is why we're treating King even though he is showing no symptoms.

In hockey news

Hawks beat the Predators 3-1, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. It sounded as though they won't have to face the Redwings or the Sharks in the first round, which means that they may have a better chance of reaching the second.

Of course, they would have to play one or both of them eventually...

In hockey news

Hawks beat the Predators 3-1, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. It sounded as though they won't have to face the Redwings or the Sharks in the first round, which means that they may have a better chance of reaching the second.

Of course, they would have to play one or both of them eventually...