Lyme Disease

• Lyme disease is caused by the Lyme spirochete (Borrelia), transmitted through tick bites and manifests differently in dogs than in humans. While most infected humans will display moderate to severe symptoms within a few weeks, dogs can go months without symptoms, and might never get sick at all. If they do show symptoms, they appear as arthritis and a possible fever. The real risk in dogs comes from the disease's effects on the kidneys. Glomerular disease is the result of a constant low-level infection bombarding the kidneys for a long period of time, causing damage.
  
  

Lyme Vaccine

• There are three types of Lyme vaccines. The killed whole spirochete vaccine uses the entire organism to induce the body to develop antibodies to ward off potential infection. Because the actual organism is injected into the body, there is an increased possibility of a reaction. The recombinant vaccine causes the dog to form certain antibodies that will prevent the Lyme spirochete from exiting the tick, and the third type of vaccine uses a combination of the two methods. Regardless of the type of vaccine used, each is only effective in dogs not yet exposed to the Lyme spirochete and require a booster two weeks after the initial dose.
  
  

Reasons to Vaccinate

• On the one hand, vaccinations prevent infection. Even if the dog does not become ill, he still spend time around the family, and nobody wants the family dog full of infectious microorganisms. Also, one of the symptoms of Lyme disease is arthritis, and unless the dog lives in a high-risk area, most vets will not think to check for Lyme disease in treating arthritis. The result would be long, expensive, ineffective treatment. The major reason, however, is the potential for a dog with Lyme disease to develop glomerular disease, which can cause tremendous damage over the long term, even if Lyme symptoms never develop.
  
  

Reasons Not to Vaccinate

• On the other hand, according to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, more than 90 percent of dogs exposed to Lyme disease will never become sick, and the ones that do can be easily cured with two weeks of a common antibiotic. Additionally, many vets feel that because the same antigens that cause the immune system to damage the kidneys are present in the vaccine, that vaccination may be just as dangerous as not vaccinating.
  
  

Alternatives

• Preventing your dog from coming into contact with ticks eliminates his risk of contracting Lyme disease. Because it takes 48 hours for the tick to transfer Lyme spirochetes to the dog, use of a monthly tick preventative can kill any attached tick long before exposure occurs.
  
  

Bottom Line

• The general consensus is that the Lyme vaccine is a good idea for dogs who live in low-risk areas and are traveling to high-risk areas, and for puppies who live in high-risk areas. A monthly tick preventative is suggested for dogs that have regular exposure to the outdoors.