My dog was just diagnosed w/Lyme Disease (we've had him for 3.5 years; got him from a shelter) but we don't know at what stage it's at. currently we're treating him w/antibiotics which are helping the excessive drinking/peeing. Does Lyme Disease make dogs dumb? my dog seriously will NOT listen to me anymore and he's been taking off lately (after years of being just fine!) Perplexing…
wandering lameness.. a simple course of antibiotics and he will be back to normal.. wandering off ?? is he neutered?? sounds like he needs some beginner basic training again.
Dogs with Lyme's will be sullen and not have a healty appetite. They will drink more and sometimes they have sever to moderate lame ness. Since your dog has already started the medicine than he is probably feeling much better now. The disease does not make the dog stupid nor does it make the dog not mind you. That is something you'll have to work on with your dog.
Lyme disease doesn't have any effect on the brain 3.5 years later. your dog just has an obedience problem. Take him to obedience classes. good Luck.
Of the hundreds of cases of canine Lyme Disease that I have seen, over 90 percent of canine patients were admitted with signs of limping (usually one foreleg), lymph node swelling in the affected limb, and a temperature of 103 degrees (101 to 102.5 degrees is normal). The limping usually progresses over three to four days from mild and barely noticeable to complete disuse of the painful leg. once the dog starts to be affected by the bacteria, Lyme Disease can progress from a mild discomfort to the stage where a dog will be in such joint and muscle pain it will refuse to move; it is not uncommon for an owner to have to carry a sick dog into the animal hospital. over the span of two or three days a dog can progress from normal to completely unable to walk due to generalized joint pain. In addition to joint damage, the bacteria can affect the dog's heart muscle and nerve tissue. if the disease is diagnosed in time, treatment can cure the dog before permanent joint or nerve damage occurs. certain antibiotics, such as the Tetracyclines, are very helpful in eliminating the disease.
Generally, the diagnosis of Lyme Disease is based upon clinical signs and history. for example, if a dog ran or played normally a few days ago, has had no signs of trauma or previous arthritic discomfort, and now displays tenderness upon palpation of the affected limb and has a mild fever and swollen lymph nodes, I'm going to seriously consider Lyme Disease as a possible diagnosis.
on the other hand, just as in human medicine, Lyme Disease is called "The Great Imitator" because it has often been mistakenly diagnosed when another disorder is present, such as an autoimmune disease, lymph tissue cancer, Blastomycosis, or septicemia. just as vexing is the fact that at times other similar-appearing diseases are diagnosed when the culprit is actually Lyme Disease. there are published reports of Lyme Disease being misdiagnosed and over diagnosed in human medicine.