Lyme disease rash in dogs is caused by deer ticks. These ticks carry certain bacteria known as borrelia burgdorferi. Not all pets that are bitten by the deer tick develop Lyme disease. Dogs develop the condition only when the tick remains attached to the pet’s skin for a period of 48 hours. Deer ticks are known to thrive in forested areas. Pet owners living in such areas should therefore take precautionary measures to protect their pets from contracting Lyme disease.
Lyme Disease Rash in Dogs
Pets suffering from Lyme disease exhibit a few symptoms like fever, listlessness, reduced appetite, fever, and skin rash. This rash is characteristic of Lyme disease. It’s a rash that looks oval shaped and bright red in color. The rash is also known as Bull’s eye rash because it’s pale in the centre and looks like a bull’s eye. Since the rash is embedded under the dog’s coat of fur, it often goes unnoticed.
If your dog doesn’t suffer from the rash, it doesn’t mean that he is not suffering from Lyme disease. The presence of this rash in dogs suffering from Lyme disease is rare. You must thus get your dog diagnosed as soon as you notice any of the other symptoms of Lyme disease.
Treatment of Lyme Disease Rash in Dogs
Before attempting to treat the rash, the vet will first find out if it’s really associated with Lyme disease or not. If the pet is suffering from Lyme disease, the vet will prescribe certain antibiotics that contain penicillin to bring relief from the symptoms exhibited. Lyme disease cannot be treated in a few days. The dog will require a course of antibiotics and follow up vet checks. The vet will then adjust the medication as and when required.
The rash will subside once the vet prescribes antibiotics like doxycycline. If the rash gets worse or if the pet doesn’t respond to the medication, you must get medical help to safeguard your dog’s life.
Prognosis of Lyme Disease in Dogs
Some dogs may remain carriers of the Lyme disease infection for life even though they don’t exhibit the symptoms of the disease. There are a few vaccines available to prevent the occurrence of Lyme disease. These vaccines have no effect on dogs that are already suffering from an active Lyme disease infection. Besides this, the vaccines should be administered with care because they’re known to cause a few side effects. To find out if your dog requires the vaccine you must discuss the same with the vet.
Precautions You Must Take
As a pet owner you need to take a few precautions to prevent your dog from contracting Lyme Disease. If you live in an area where the deer tick population is high, you must consider vaccinating your pet. You could also consider administering a monthly flea and tick preventive medication to your pet to reduce his exposure to flea and tick infections.
Tips to Get Rid of Fleas and Ticks:
- Spray your outdoor plants with horticulture oil to ward off fleas and ticks.
- Bathe your pet with flea and tick control shampoos or use medicated dips to kill live ticks that are attached to the dog’s body.
- Use a flea comb to check for recurring tick and flea infections.
- Vacuum your carpets and then steam clean them in order to get rid of flea and tick eggs and larvae.
The sooner Lyme disease is diagnosed, the greater are the chances of your pet’s complete recovery.