I have 2 pomeranians that were recently diagnosed with Lyme disease. One is having some severe symptoms: heart enlargement, kidney issues (early stage renal failure.) He was in heart failure. But, after a host of medications he currently is not. He also has a collapsed trachea which was pretty asymptomatic until a few weeks ago. Now, he has been experiencing breathing issues. And, has been given medications for that as well. He is currently taking 50 mg Doxycycline twice a day for 4 weeks for the Lyme disease. (He weighs 16 pounds. And, is 8 years old.)
I could really use a referral to a Lyme literate vet. I am located in Maryland just south of Washington Dc.
Any referrals and or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much in advance.
Posts: 3 | From USA | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
I don't know anyone to refer you to but wanted to wish you luck and know I'm sending prayers and positive thoughts your way. Your little guy sounds like he's dealing with a lot. I hope he gets better and your other pom gets well. Keep us posted.
Posts: 383 | From Ar | Registered: May 2007
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posted
Aren't all vets lyme literate? They seem to know more than our LLMDs. The vet who tested my dog, also treated my dog.But we're not anywhere near DC.
Posts: 365 | From Sylvania | Registered: Aug 2008
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massman
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posted
Call and ask around. Call and talk to the docs.
They are way more lyme literate than MDs.
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Leelee
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19112
posted
I am so sorry to hear about your little babies.
I took my Keeshond there many years ago when we were in danger of losing her to Lyme. She saw a neurologist there.
At the time we needed a referral from our regular vet before they would let us make an appointment and I don't know if they still have the same policy or not.
Unfortunately, we have never had much luck finding a Lyme literate vet despite the fact that it is assumed vets know more than human doctors.
Except for rxing doxy for a month, we haven't had found any to be particularly helpful.
Best of luck to you and your Pomeranians. I know you are worried about them. I am keeping you and your babies in my prayers.
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
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Leelee
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19112
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I meant to mention in my other post that there is a very active "Tick List" on the internet. It is for discussing pets with Lyme.
My husband is the one who visits there all the time so this evening I will ask him for the exact address and send it to you just in case somewhere can help.
Again, I want to say how sorry I am for you and your babies.
I think you are wise to be pro-active in searching for a Lyme aware vet. Our neighbor's vet was not very knowledgeable and they lost their golden retriever to Lyme nephritis (sp?)
I hope that didn't upset you. I just wanted to encourage you to keep looking for someone to help.
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Thanks so much for the prayers and positive thoughts, Zil. I really appreciate it.
He's a tough little guy. And, seems to be holding his own. From what I've been reading, Chronic Lyme will take longer to respond to treatment. So, far we've been seeing some improvement. The "cold chills" shivering has stopped completely. And, his breathing is much better, so, that is a huge relief.The vet believes that the breathing (trachea) issues are neurological from the lyme disease.
He has been snubbing all food, but, has started to show some interest. He's fed a combo of home cooked and raw. I've been feeding him a kidney diet to help battle the early stage renal failure.
I offered him a strip of bacon yesterday since he seemed interested. He ate the whole thing. He even offered some of his tricks (roll over, wave etc). I was so happy I cried. It was something I didn't think I'd ever get to see him do again.
My other pom is showing some signs that the lyme may be flaring up again (increased panting, stiffness, soreness). He was only on a 3 week course of doxy initially. I think he's probably going to need at least another 4 weeks.
I know we've got a long road ahead of us. But, there's hope.
Posts: 3 | From USA | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
Thanks so much for the referral and the prayers, Leelee. I greatly appreciate the tick list link as well.
How did your Keeshond respond to her Lyme treatment?
I've been doing a ton of reading and research. But, haven't found much regarding Lyme lit. vets. Prescribing 3 weeks of doxycycline seems to be the standard response.
I have a fantastic vet. But, Chronic Lyme is terrifying. I was hoping that a specialist might have additional ideas on medications, therapies, supplements, and traditional and non traditional treatments.
I adore my little guy. I love him more than words can ever say. So, I want to make sure that I've explored every option possible for the best course of treatment.
Thanks again for the prayers and good thoughts. I really appreciate it.
Posts: 3 | From USA | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
Average vets tend to be better educated in comparison to average physicians with regards to lyme and animals, even when seriously affected by the disease, tend to make easier and more complete recoveries with treatment that would be woefully underpowered for humans.
I know the name of an EXCELLENT vet in upper Montgomery county, close to the Frederick border. If this is convenient for you, PM me and I'll send you his name. He's also aware of the severity of Lyme in both humans and animals.I'm not sure what his typical treatment method is for Lyme specifically, but he's gone above and beyond for many of my animals and is well informed about cutting edge treatments and technology.
Posts: 690 | From East coast, USA | Registered: Jun 2006
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Dawn in VA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9693
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This guy's in NC:
The pain of Bartonella By Sarah Avery, The News & Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina
Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt, an infectious disease veterinarian and one of the world's leading researchers of bacteria called Bartonella, has for the first time documented evidence that the pathogen may have been passed between family members.
Although more studies are needed to back up his findings, Breitschwerdt and colleagues describe the case of a mother and father who began battling chronic aches, fatigues and other symptoms soon after they were married. When their twins were born in 1998, the daughter died after nine days from a heart defect, and the son developed chronic health problems.
...
Breitschwerdt said the family in his most recent study declined to comment about their experience. He said they were having difficulty finding a doctor.
"It is very difficult to find a physician who wants to see someone with a chronic illness that is poorly defined," he said, adding that many such patients often think they have Lyme disease, a tick-borne bacterial infection with similar symptoms - and stigma. "With an unexplained illness, it becomes problematic."
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
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