Symptoms of Canine Lyme disease

Symptoms of canine Lyme disease exhibited by dogs are not the same as those experienced by the human population.  Initially, most dogs do not exhibit any signs of the disease.  When clinical symptoms become apparent, they can be seen as joint pain, limping, and swelling in the leg area. 

Arthritis in the joints is yet another symptom of Lyme disease which can affect dogs.  In many cases, it can affect more than one leg, but not always at the same time.  Lyme disease can lead to excruciating pain, often causing an infected dog to become depressed and lose interest in eating or taking part in physical activity. 

Other symptoms appear as chronic inflammation of the nervous system, kidneys, or heart.  Indications of Lyme disease can often occur several months after a dog has been bitten by an infected tick.  The most commonly seen symptoms are exhibited as fever, lethargy, appetite loss, lameness, and swelling of the lymph nodes.  Dogs can also develop disorders of the nervous system as a result of the infection.