Why is my Pekingese lethargic with irregular heart rate on Lyme meds?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Max! Most dogs with Lyme improve on doxycycline with in 3 days and STAY better. They don't relapse on meds. The most common reason for initially doing well on the doxycycline and then getting worse again is immune mediated polyarthopathy. That is treated with immunosuppressants like prednisone. I would get a second opinion. I wish Max a speedy recovery!

Hello and thank you for your post! I am sorry to hear Jasmine is not feeling well. For lymes disease I typically treat for 6 weeks or longer if symptoms persist. You can recheck for lymes and see if she is still infected by sending out a pcr test. Your vet can do this. The test they run at the clinic is typically a snap test thay checks for antibodies. After being infected with lymes, the body develops antibodies to the disease so animals can test positive for years after the infection has resolved. That is why pcr is better for monitoring treatment. This may also not be lymes. Has she been tested for heartworm disease as well? If not, I would have this done. If she has been declining and is showing new symptoms, I would get her seen by a vet and get her examined and have blood work run to ensure nothing serious is going on. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

I'm sorry Thor has Lyme disease! The antibiotics can cause a loss of appetite as a side effect, so that could be why his appetite comes and goes. Lyme disease does cause painful and swollen joints, and that may explain why he doesn't want to get up and walks very stiffly. Difficulty breathing can also be part of the course of the disease. The normal course of treatment with antibiotics for Lyme disease is 30 days, but sometime treatment may go on longer. I would give your vet a call in the morning to let them know you haven't seen any improvement in Thor, and they can advise you if they want you to bring him in for a health check.

We certainly hear reports of dogs with arthritis experiencing difficulty with weather change. In this case, I cannot say that it is not out of the realm of possibility but in a 6 year old dog seems less likely. It is more likely the joint pain is secondary to Lyme disease as it can cause polyarthritis. You need to continue his antibiotics and follow up with your veterinarian to discuss joint taps. Joint taps are a diagnostic test that utilizes a needle to remove fluid from the joint space for evaluation. If we observe inflammation in the joints additional therapy may be needed.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Loki. I recommend that she sees an emergency veterinarian today if possible. If not, then she must be seen first thing in the morning. While the swelling is not common, it may be due a complication of Lyme disease knowns as vasculitis. Blood vessels can become leaky due to inflammation and cause swelling of the limbs. Continue her medications as directed. Encourage her to eat and drink normally. I hope this information helps!

Your puppy could indeed be suffering from an upper respiratory infection such as kennel cough which can last up to 6 weeks. however it should then be treated with possibly another antibiotic (if your vet deems it necessary). Carl could be suffering from a collapsing trachea as well. This is a common condition in small dogs such as pugs. This can be easily diagnosed with an x-ray. You should take Carl back to the veterinarian for a recheck this week.

Poor Ruby! I would make sure the vet knows that she recently has suspected lymes disease to ensure she is on the proper medicine. I would also talk to your vet about running a lyme titer to see if she has an active infection. If not, she may need to be on a different antibiotic to treat other possible diagnoses. I hope this helps!