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Apr. 3rd, 2009 07:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ksmithKing'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.
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.
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Date: 2009-04-04 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 03:26 am (UTC)My biggest concern is that the antibiotic may upset his system. Doxycycline is apparently particularly gentle in that regard--any GI upset can be avoided by giving the drug with food. I will feed King an acidophilus supplement as well, just to make sure.