Ask the Vet About Lyme Disease

Hey! Yes it seems that Cephalexin is okay to treat Lyme disease. I commonly use Doxycycline for 30 days. Please speak with you veterinarian to see what they want to use. Thank you, Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! Please go to your local veterinarian to have them do a physical exam and then prescribe medication such as doxycycline and possibly a steroid. I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! I am so sorry to hear all this about your dog. Lyme disease can be treated using Doxycycline pills once a day for 30 days. However, some Lyme disease stays dormant and never goes away but the clinical signs of soar joints will go away with doxycycline. Cushings on top of all of this can shorten a dogs lifespan due to other circulatory issues. If you think your dog is suffering from old age plus her Cushings disease then you need to talk to your vet about quality of life. Quality of life can be determined if a dog stops eating, losing weight, cant walk, poops and pees on themselves. I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! Please go see your local veterinarian and have them prescribe your dog Doxycycline for 30 days which is the treatment for Lyme disease to catch it early. Your vet may have other advice, so see what they say! I hope this helps. Dr. Lindsay Butzer ALSO keep your dog on flea and tick preventing!

Hey! Please see your veterinarian to get the correct antibiotic or medication for Lyme disease. The most commonly used one is Doxycyline but I cannot prescribe it here. You need a diagnosis and to go to Vetster.com to get a virtual vet apt to get it prescribed and sent to you through petmeds.com I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! Being lethargic and limping are classic signs of Lyme disease in dogs. If you suspect they have it or have ticks around please take your dog to a local veterinarian. I hope this helps! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Your question didn't come through, but since you chose the category Lyme Disease, here is a direct link to our article about Lyme Disease: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/lyme-disease-in-dogs-cats-17.html

No. The antibiotics that treat Lyme disease require a prescription from a veterinarian that has met and diagnosed your dog face-to-face. Here is a link to our article about Lyme disease treatment: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/lyme-disease-treatment-dog-cat-17.html

It's really impossible to say - some (most actually) dogs do fine and their immune systems clear it really well and they never have any issues, then others have chronic issues (joint, kidney, etc.) then there's everything/anything in between.

Legally, in veterinary medicine, a veterinarian that has met her face-to-face must approve a prescription.

Yes, it is possible, but not very common. Here is a link to a really good article about Lyme disease, written by another veterinarian, from a really good site that I trust: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952009

I am not familiar enough with holistic medications to advise you on this. Try consulting a veterinarian that specializes in holistic medicine, often found at your local veterinary school or on websites like JustAnswer.com.

Of all the symptoms Lyme disease causes, coughing and vomiting are not 2 of them so I would really recommend having your veterinarian check him out and rule out other causes (there are many possibilities). We treat Lyme disease with Doxycycline so that would require approval from a veterinarian that has met him face-to-face anyway.

At this point, just keeping an eye on the bites and routine rechecks (if he was "borderline lyme" I assume they are going to recheck him) for Lyme, if that is a problem where you live.

Have your veterinarian check her blood work - her kidney enzymes will be elevated if it is Lyme nephritis. The blood work will also help rule in or out other problems (liver disease, pancreatitis, etc.)