Treating Lyme Disease in pets

August 15, 5:59 PMNY Pets Alternative Health ExaminerCarol Alexander

Lyme disease is a serious and often debilitating illness transmitted to animals and humans by deer tick bite. Lyme, a bacterial infection, is also known as Borreliosis. The symptoms of this disease are so many and so varied that it can be difficult to diagnose. Worse yet, it can be a challenge to eradicate, sometimes leaving sufferers with long-lasting residual symptoms. In the animal world, dogs are more likely to contract Lyme than outdoor cats; apparently, the grooming behavior of felines is quite useful in removing ticks before they can penetrate into the skin.

Ticks in the nymph stage are most ingenious about attaching to the skin of their hosts. The tiny size of the nymph makes detection difficult; the nymph is pin-sized, so you’ll probably need a magnifying glass to spot it. Once bitten, a sick animal may show signs in less than a week’s time. Unfortunately, the symptoms mimic those of many other ailments, including viral infections and arthritis. The animal may vomit, develop neurological symptoms, run a fever, or appear to be lame for no apparent reason.

If you suspect that your pet has been exposed to Lyme (the offending tick is fairly common in many regions of the country, not just Lyme, Connecticut), you can ask your vet to perform a blood test. Keep in mind that some animals will not show symptoms, or will evidence symptoms much later after the tick bite occurs.

Because it can be hard to rout Lyme from the system, multiple therapies are often used in treatment plans. The allopathic drugs of choice are usually amoxicillin, in the penicillin family, and doxycycline, a cousin of tetracycline. A holistic veterinarian may also prescribe herbs or botanicals as complements to antibiotic treatment. Ask about adjunctive therapies such as Silybum marianus for liver support, and Aconite and Crotalus hor for general immune support and relief of fever and symptoms of debility.

While your pet is recovering, there are various tonics that may help restore its energy, including Pet Alive’s Energy Tonic and T-F Defense, Immunity and Liver Support.

Prevention is certainly easier than cure when it comes to Lyme. Keep your pets out of tall weeds, particularly in May and early June, when the deer tick is in its nymph stage.
For a nontoxic repellent, try Biochemics Dr. Dog Bug N Out, available through Whiskers.com.

For more info:
http://www.lyme.org/otherdis/ld_pets.html
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:6f4B_BKbbJwJ:www.remedies4.com/download/natural-help-for-lyme-disease
http://1800whiskers.com/
ttp://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://webpages.charter.net/balplanman/_MicPix/Ticks/DeerTickNymph.jpg&imgrefurl=http://webpages.charter.net
http://www.health.state.ny.us/publications/2825/