My Dog Has Lyme Disease, Now What?
I am saddened to announce our foster dog, Taylor was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease and three types of worms! The poor pup is only 6 months old and just went in to get a checkup so he could get adopted.
I’ve never experienced Lyme disease in any other foster dog or my resident dogs, so I was not aware of the symptoms, but I am now! Of course, just like you, I went straight into research mode to find out everything I could about Lyme disease. So here is what I learned…
How Did My Dog Get Lyme Disease?
One creepy, crawly word… ticks! Since Taylor was found abandoned in Tennessee near a boat ramp, it’s probable that he had a tick attach to him, and that tick was infected. If you live in a heavy tick-infested area, you need to be protecting your dog against ticks. As you can see in the photo of Taylor below, he looks healthy and happy. You would never know he has Lyme disease just from looking at him. Keep reading to learn the best ways to keep ticks off your dog.

Dog Lyme Disease Symptoms
For the first week we had Taylor I noticed he was slow to get up from sleeping on his dog bed, his back legs would appear to have fallen asleep. He was not able to jump up onto our couch, which at first I figured he never learned how.
I continued to notice slight weakness in his legs and so I decided mentioned it to the vet. Never did I imagine his diagnosis would come back with Lyme disease!
Unfortunately, Lyme Disease symptoms are not always very obvious, and some dogs won’t show any signs. Some symptoms to watch for would be:
- Lameness in the legs (can be shifting from one leg to another, be intermittent, or recurring)
- Stiffness, discomfort, or pain in your dogs’ legs
- Swelling of joints in your dog’s legs
- Reduced energy
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Liver failure (this is uncommon)
Our Taylor didn’t have any symptoms other than the lameness in his legs. So if I hadn’t been paying close attention to him and if I hadn’t mentioned it to the vet, he may have gone undiagnosed!
I highly recommend paying close attention to your dog, he will give you clues on how he is feeling. Your dog can’t speak like you and me, so it’s our job to listen to his body language!
Treatment for a Dog that Has Lyme Disease
The first step was for our vet to confirm that our foster dog has Lyme disease by performing a blood test. Next, the vet prescribed an antibiotic called Doxycycline. Taylor needs to take two of these pills once a day for 28 days. He will then need to go back to the vet to be tested again.
Is Lyme Disease Contagious?
I am always very concerned about our foster dogs getting our resident dogs sick. With every new foster we bring in, we are taking a chance at our dogs contracting something from them. I always check for worms in new foster dogs, since that is the most common issue we see.
But good news, we do NOT have to worry about Lyme disease. It is not contagious in any way. The only way to contract Lyme is to be bitten by an infected tick. If you have more than one dog, there could be a chance that both dogs get bit by the same tick or another tick infected with Lyme. So it’s a good idea to have all your dogs tested.
Lyme disease is NOT transmitted from one dog or pet to another dog or pet, it can NOT be transmitted from pets to humans either. Being bit by an infected tick is the only way Lyme disease is transmitted.
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How to Prevent Your Dog from Getting Lyme Disease
Very simply, avoid ticks. I know this is not realistically possible, so it’s important to protect against ticks attaching to your dog. I know our vet recommends using Frontline or K9Advantix, and we’ve used it for many years until recently. I’ve been learning about the long-term effects of putting this poison on our dogs. Please read Your Ultimate Guide to Dogs and Ticks.
There are other natural ways to protect your dog against ticks. Only Natural Pet has some great options, along with Only Natural Pet EasyDefense Dog Flea & Tick Control Kits
I’ve also read about a way to use essential oils to protect against ticks. You can find the ingredients on my article Are Flea and Tick Medication Safe for My Dog?
Another option is a vaccination for Lyme disease that you can ask your vet about. I have mixed feelings about adding a vaccination for your dog unless it is absolutely necessary.

Lyme Disease FAQ
I found it interesting that an infected tick must be attached to your dog for 36 to 48 hours to transmit Lyme. That means you should be checking your dog frequently for ticks. If you find a tick on your dog, remove it immediately!
Although unlikely, in severe cases Lyme disease can cause kidney failure and death. But don’t panic, this is rare. Talk to your vet if you are worried about it.
Once infected with Lyme Disease, a dog will always have the bacteria in his body. Therefore, relapses are possible, and owners should be on the lookout for lameness, unexplained fever, or swollen lymph nodes. Most dogs will live a long happy life with no complications.
Recommended just for you:
- Your Ultimate Guide to Dogs and Ticks
- Is Coconut Oil Good For Your Dog
- How Often Does My Dog Need a Bath?
I pray that you and your dog never have to experience Lyme disease. Always do a tick check on your dog and your family after coming home from a hike in the woods, dog park, or anywhere ticks can be an issue.
Prevention is the key, and I understand that not everyone can afford flea and tick medications or you may be concerned about the chemicals in these medications like I am. Whatever you do decide, protect your dog against ticks in some way, whether it be avoiding areas with heavy tick infestations, using the chemical flea and tick medications or a home-remedy.
How do you prevent ticks in your dog? Please comment below and help our Rescue Dogs 101 community decide what is best for their dog.
Am in process of adopting a hording dog and they just e mailed me she has Lyme’ disease. Don’t know if I should go ahead.
That’s totally up to you but most dogs can live a long happy life without further complications. They should however treat her before adoption, or at least pay for the treatment.
I live in the Northeast and Lyme is a huge problem here with our dogs. Please get the vaccines. We had a Lyme + rescue from the Tennessee area and we loved him immensely, he just recently passed away. His medical regimen included yearly extra lab work and he needed pain meds several different times for stiff joints. The vaccine prevents this. We just got a new rescue from Texas and the first thing I said at our vet was to start the Lyme series. It’s 3 shots, not expensive, and can save you and your pup so much $$ and time.
Thank you for sharing your story, I’m sure it will help others in the same situation. Lyme disease can be scary! So sorry for your loss.
I was diagnosed with Lyme disease 5 years ago and was taking Antibiotics and Nonsteroidal anti-Inflammatory drug which seemed to help. However, I still suffer from some of the symptoms. My symptoms have always been chronic fatigue, joint pain, and even neurological problems in controlling hand and leg movements. I am a 54 year old female. the Antibiotics wasn’t really working and I could not tolerate them for long due to severe side effects, so this year our family doctor started me on Natural Herbal Gardens Lyme disease Herbal mixture, We ordered their Lyme disease herbal treatment after reading alot of positive reviews, i am happy to report with the help of Natural Herbal Garden natural herbs I have been able to reverse my symptoms using herbs, my symptoms totally declined over a 8 weeks use of the Natural Herbal Gardens Lyme disease herbal mixture. My Lyme disease is totally reversed! Their official web page is naturalherbalgardens . co m this is a herbal store that will be leaving it’s footprint in this world. I’m 54 and have never been this healthier
So happy to hear you found something to help you with your symptoms!
I hope that the antibiotics do the trick for Taylor! One of my dogs tested positive for Lyme Disease about 3 years ago (maybe more) and she hasn’t had any issues. One of my kids also tested positive and so far, so good. He took the antibiotics right after we found the tick.
So glad your dog and child haven’t had any issues since testing positive… and how scary for your kid to have it too! I did learn that the quicker you catch and treat it, the better the outcome is. Thanks for sharing your story.