Lyme Disease:  Tick Fever

Affected Animals:  Dogs, cats, and humans.

Information and Overview:   Without treatment, Lyme disease causes problems in many parts of the dog's body, including the heart, kidneys, and joints. On rare occasions, it can lead to neurological disorders. Lyme disease most commonly is associated with symptoms such as a high fever, swollen lymph nodes, lameness, and a loss of appetite. Dogs get Lyme disease from a tick that passes the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria into the animal's bloodstream when it bites. The tick must remain attached to the animal's skin for at least one day before the bacteria can be transmitted. The ticks, called Ixodes or deer ticks, generally are found in specific regions of the United States: the northeastern states, the upper Mississippi region, California, and certain areas in the South. Like dogs, people can suffer from Lyme disease. They, too, catch it from ticks carrying the infection. Infected dogs do not transmit the disease to humans. For both canines and humans, the illness is treated by antibiotic medication.

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