Is lyme disease a possible cause???

Thank you for being so responsible and taking the initiative to see the vet. Most owners aren't so proactive.

Yes, you should be very upset with your veterinarian. What he did was both unprofessional and jeoperdizes your sheltie's life. A tick infestation is ALWAYS serious, especially when the numbers reach into the hundreds. Here's what your veterinarian should have done:

HE should have removed the ticks for you. Ticks must be removed carefully without twisting or crushing the body which can cause toxins to "spill out" harming both dog and handler, and leaving the head of the tick still embedded in the skin. ALWAYS wear gloves or use tweezers, never touch them with your bare fingers.

HE should have preformed a test for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease, and Ehrlichiosis. These are serious diseases that are transmitted by ticks which can also affect humans.

He should have discussed tick prevention with you. If your dog was in an area where he was exposed to ticks, reoccurance is likely. You MUST have your dog put on a Flea and Tick control product such as K-9 Advantix (which both kills and repels mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks).

Please talk to a different veterinarian and have him or her perscribe this prevention medication... it works wonders and will prevent deadly diseases and worms that these insects transmit. Please make sure that the veterinarian does not perscribe a large dose of HeartGuard (it works for some dogs, but has a deadly reaction in Collie type dog breeds).

The episodic lameness you are describing could be a couple things: one, is Tick-borne paralysis, which means that there is at least one tick somewhere on your dog (under the lip, between the toes,etc) which is causing this lameness- once the tick is located (easier said than done) the dog sould recover. A preventitive medication as described above will kill exsisting hiding ticks and prevent future ones.

A second reason could possibly be that one of the 200+ ticks from the original infestation was a carrier of a disease such as Lyme Disease, which may permanently infect an animal, despite antibiotic treatment and can lead to life-long, occasional flare-ups of fever, lameness, and rash. Have a veterinarian preform an Antibody titer which will show if your dog was exposed to this disease. If he was not, please be aware that there is a Lyme Disease Vaccine available for dogs, although preventitive monthly medication will prevent the ticks from ever getting a bite.

I am very sorry that your first veterinarian was so unconcerned about this, and that he is simply perscribing antibiotics without understanding the cause.

You are a very caring and knowledgable owner and i thank you for sticking to your guns and seeking out another vet's opinion. Personally, I would seek out another vet permenatly. Please feel free to question any vet's techniques and to have tests preformed and to seek out answers... you have a right to know.

I wish you luck with the second vet. Please request an antibody titer and preventitive medication which will help get to the bottom of your dog's problems.

All the best.

-RVT

(Registered Veterinary Technician)

I hope you come up with the money soon. I have a friend whose Rottie exhibited similar symptoms and was diagnosed with Lyme. Not too long after, her dog (who was already old and more vulnerable) died of kidney failure. I hope that your dog is okay. I posted a link with some Q & A with a vet that should answer some of your questions. He says symptoms don't usually show until at least 2 months later.

It could be Lymes, but it could also be something else. I don't know if Shelties get arthritis, but that's one of the affects of Lymes, at least in people. There is a blood test that can tell if your doggie had it. They'll get her fixed up, so rest easy. Have you checked her pads and all.

switch vets. 200 ticks during a walk is an awful lot of ticks. if your dog has not been vaccinated agianst lyme disease i suggest going to a new vet and asking them to run blood work to see if your dog has lyme diseas. it sounds like tick paralysis to me.

There are more tick borne diseases than Lyme. You could need to get some special testing done.

It could be but it could be something else entirely different. All those ticks did any of them bit and attached themselves to your puppy? Different breeds have different problems with physical ailments. I believe you need to have a talk with your vet. If it is reoccurring then discuss it with him and find a solution. Good luck