I apologize if there is another group like lymenet but for animals. I have spent many hours looking but have found nothing. Only a couple of animal sites have even heard of Lyme (I took the occasions to educate those who would let me).
If this questions is permitted: two area dogs (one mine and he has been on Frontline for years) both contracted Lyme disease this month. Vet far more knowledgeable about Lyme than any LLMD I've ever encountered!
He immediately put them both on 10 days 2x day of 100 mg doxycycline. Dogs better in 48 hours but had relapse 2 days ago but OK now. I want 30 days of doxy same as humans receive. Calling tomorrow.
I understand some animals immune to Lyme (deer, cats, ?). True? Any experts on "animal Lyme" reading this? I also heard animals like dogs more difficult to contract Lyme than humans and doxy COMPLETELY cures Lyme no matter when given? True? If so, why not humans? Humans most susceptible to Lyme disease of all species (I read).
I hope this is permitted as I'm sure there are many pet owners/lovers in group plus pets often carry ticks into house then they drop to be picked up by a human.
That happened to me when I was already at my deepest point in Lyme effects. Tick caught on a below zero February day (outside) so must have been living in warmth of house for months.
Sprayed entire house plus did inspection but no way to tell for sure as I saw no others other than the one already well dug into me.
So deep I still have purple blotch from digging it out three years later! Doctor did nothing I hadn't already done (he was also an ER doctor who assured me "Lyme does not exist - why are you making up your symptoms? For sympathy?" Still WAY to many such doctors in denial!
I was pasty white and all blood tests out WAY of normal range. I could barely walk but, to him, somehow I "was faking it all".
Anyway, COLD February - NO month is safe!
Removed tick and stayed on PICC line ABX and followed protocol from a book. I'm now 99% healthy but have minor relapse about once a year so it will always be with me. I keep it in remission by careful attention to the protocol.
Also, 4 out of 8 neighbors have received severe tick bites since May. Total epidemic. All IMMEDIATELY ON doxy because of me. My major city is talking about Lyme (about time!). I'd call it an epidemic (pandemic?) here. Pharmacies even running out of doxy.
Lyme disease was on TV news last week and Lyme disease article in local paper this week (Kansas City). 300% increase in ticks (they say). Also said percentage carrying disease up from under 50% last summer to 99% last month. TV said CDC did the test from sampling of ticks harvested from one deer (not cross section of entire city).
Does CDC do such testing or did TV just guess who did it? With CDC so tied to IDSA I was very surprised when they made such a statement but both TV and newspaper had it.
County library plus several suburbs have sponsored "Lyme Awareness Seminars".
Most people I talk to have now at least heard of Lyme disease but still do not know what to do (other than remove tick and alcohol/bandage wound). Better than five years ago when maybe one percent had heard of Lyme.
Sorry - my question was about animals not about humans, me or situation in my city.
Catgirl
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 31149
posted
You are such a good soul to tell your neighbors about lyme/doxy.
Our cats have lyme. I don't need an evidenced based lyme test to confirm it, I see it. Fatigue, joint pain, weight loss, yet blood tests are perfect.
I think all animals can get lyme, even deer. It's bunk that we're told they don't. They just haven't discovered it yet, anymore than they've figured out chronic lyme exists because the spirochete hides (idiots).
-------------------- --Keep an open mind about everything. Also, remember to visit ACTIVISM (we can change things together). Posts: 5418 | From earth | Registered: Mar 2011
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posted
I know cats can be exposed to lyme disease, but most cats do not develop symptoms after infection with B. burgdorferi. I have heard that cats have a fairly unique immune system. They may very well contract the bacteria and even carry it, but they don't seem to typically develop symptoms of Lyme disease. But we can't very well ask them.
My dog has contracted lyme disease, but I think its different in dogs as well. Cats and dogs also live much shorter lifespans, so who is to say how long it would take for them to develop chronic symptoms. Ive read that in 2003, research was being conducted at Cornell University on Lyme disease in horses and reported 50% of horses in the Northeastern United States are positive for exposure to Lyme disease. But being exposed and active infection..I don't know.
I have also read that Lyme ticks are carried by over 300 different species of animals including mammals, birds and reptiles.
-------------------- Sick since 2000 Bulls eye 2005 Dx Babesia, Lyme 2014 Posts: 247 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Aug 2014
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desertwind
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 25256
posted
My dog has chronic Lyme - yup chronic. Also had Anaplasmosis.
We have her on a pulse of 400 mg.s Doxy a day for 2 weeks then off for 2 weeks. Early on in her infection she would be on for 8 weeks at 400 mg.s /day. Stop meds relapse or get re-infected and go back on. Now we pulse. She is a beautiful 58 lb. Golden and is doing well at this point.
Posts: 1671 | From Tick Infested New Jersey | Registered: Apr 2010
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posted
My dog has chronic lyme. Unfortunately his stomach cannot tolerate doxy. We can only two pills in him before he starts vomiting. He can get down amoxicillan but it isnt as effective.
I am now exploring herbal treatments. He is only 7 and has a long road ahead of him unless I figure something out.
Posts: 854 | From Somewhere | Registered: Nov 2010
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Note: if you panic easily when Lyme is even mentioned skip this message (please).
1. I agree. Cats can get Lyme as can most animals. Have argued with vets and others. Some Web sites say yes and some no. I believe it is thickness of hide.
An alligator would not catch Lyme. A mouse would but mice and rodents of all kinds carry ticks in abundance.
A deer has a fairly thick hide. Do some develop immunity? Like rodents? Rodents survived "Black Death" in "Middle Ages" but spread it!
We need massive Lyme disease research NOW! NOT denial.
G Bush #2 was CURED of Lyme disease by 11 doctors, many treatments 2006/2007. So he proved a cure DOES exist. I'm sure it was VERY expensive.
Bush just having done 100 mile bike marathon he must be cured - not just remission. Before that he was just "propped up" for photo ops described as "someone who was easily cured with three weeks of doxy two years after bite (NOT!)".
Bush was VERY SICK!
Anyone with Lyme could see his "deer in the headlights" look, confusion, stumbling for words, his walking into a closet famous moment etc.
BUT cure must be possible! Bush is fine now!
Some dogs have thick hides and some don't. Cats depending on amount of hair I suppose.
2. I do what I can with neighbors. My large city has an major Lyme epidemic going on. Feds just shut down last two known local LLMDs. A third took LONG vacation in hiding I suppose.
I am well known here re Lyme so my phone and e-mail is going crazy with no remaining LLMDs to at least talk to people.
Newly infected are suddenly helpless - often in total panic! Like one last night who called me. Being an alcoholic makes it far worse for her. A young single mother. Cried for three hours!
Have had three known local suicides thus far in August. May have averted a fourth one last night.
I have an in-law who says "Lyme does not exist" and "you just fake it for sympathy". Odd fellow and he is also a vet plus mental issues in his family.
Treats animals for Lyme symptoms by giving them doxycycline but just says it is an "unknown infection".
3. Yes, I also believe chronic Lyme is true with any animal that can get Lyme including dogs.
4. IMO Lyme disease will prove to be THE epidemic of the 21st century or at least 1st half of century. Perhaps headed to a pandemic unless Ebola or something else comes along? But Ebola infections currently increasing by hundreds a month entire world while Lyme is many thousands (even a day in some regions per "experts").
Yes, I may be over stating it but you are not aware of beyond shocking information I have recently learned. I have been at this since 1985, thousands have contacted me and I probably now know too much for my own good.
Fortunately, I am now 67 so not many years to go. Prediction: by 2025 more will have Lyme disease than not have it. Becoming more virulent with some ticks carrying up to a dozen other diseases. A few deadly. Fortunately, that is rare thus far.
NOT a good outlook with "authorities" in pitched battle to "squash Lyme" with some unwilling to even admit Lyme disease exists much less allow even privately funded research!
YES, there ARE reasons for this. Difficult to believe.
Posts: 133 | From Shawnee, KS | Registered: Sep 2007
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posted
Terv There are alternatives. Tetracycline, others - ask. Also, liquid doxy plus you can try mixing powder from powder type doxy pills with food he likes.
Why is 100 mg 2x a day the same regardless of weight, human, animal, etc. -- got me!!
Can also do doxy via IV but expensive.
Throw this in - tetracycline usually given to children whose adult teeth have not in yet.
Doxy for young child will cause yellow tinge to adult teeth.
If recently bitten important he gets doxy (or equivalent) treatment ASAP. 4 week window after bite for humans same for animals.
Vets like many human doctors if they give anything at all. Many just apply alcohol and bandage then say come back in six weeks - wrong!
In six weeks if Lyme disease was present it has now spread in blood stream to lymph nodes and organs leaving the dog/human with chronic Lyme FOR LIFE. They recommend 10 days of doxy- I prefer 30 days or 21 as bare minimum.
If well past six weeks since bite then when ABX given of little importance except doxy no longer of much help. Need stronger drug as part of rotating protocol.
Best to rotate three drugs as body builds immunity to single drug. I like Rocephin, Ceftin, Zithromax.
A full out to the limit treatment is a plastic PICC line fed in shoulder blade snaked through main artery to near heart. Snaked visually with real-time x-ray by specialist who mostly does PICC insertions.
Not as major or scary as it sounds but never heard of it done to an animal. Would they tear it out - perhaps? Human keeps 14 doses on ice with special syringe feeding ABX to near heart 2x a day. Return to MD office weekly for fresh supply on dry ice. Given at home. Usually very expensive as this goes on for 3 to 6 months.
This is why oral ABX even in high doses has had success rate of only about 10%. Kidneys "see" most of ABX as poison then expels it as urine. Fed to heart 90%+ of ABX gets to important parts of body.
This VERY important fact just now being discovered!
Finding an LLMD who also does PICC line or in hospital who does PICC lines next to impossible. Not aware of any vet docs who do this. You can ask. As I say - NOT cheap! even then it does not cure Lyme.
Only "breaks the back of Lyme disease" (my LLMDs description) to then allow other treatments to help. I had PICC line plus other treatments and am now 99% well but will always have occasional short-term remissions of Lyme every 6? months.
Still need rest and no STRESS! STRESS - the worst enemy of Lyme. Hope this helped!
Posts: 133 | From Shawnee, KS | Registered: Sep 2007
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posted
that cats groom themselves a lot thus avoid ticks makes a lot of sense.
Also to question about Geo Bush faking full recovery - possible. video just showed him starting 100 mile bike run on the trail then finishing - quite possibly staged. Never know these days.
I know his "official doctor" put out "BS" notice "GW contracted Lyme but after three weeks of doxy is completely cured". Investigation uncovered 11 doctors multiple weeks at Bethesda Medical and he was REALLY sick. So entire government involved in cover up.
When fed agent pulls a gun on a doctor as I witnessed it is getting serious. Didn't point or aim - just "took it out of holster". Doctor dropped all 400 of her Lyme patients same day. Other remaining LLMD in town closed office later in day and retired. Coincidence? City of two million now has zero LLMDs.
posted
No three weeks of doxy for GW. At least two LLMDs were consulted who do more than that!
Another animal site: www.dogsandticks.com - you can drag a cursor over a map to see percentages of several illnesses reported in each state.
Posts: 13171 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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desertwind
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 25256
posted
I give my dog probiotics three times a day. Also gets Pepcid on occasion.
The probiotics make the abx.'s tolerable for her.
Posts: 1671 | From Tick Infested New Jersey | Registered: Apr 2010
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-------------------- One day closer to being cured..... Posts: 104 | From Wisconsin | Registered: Jan 2014
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GretaM
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 40917
posted
My dog had the lyme vaccine plus the Revolution drops every month.
Still contracted lyme and babesia and still died.
My vet opted minimum 6 weeks of high dose doxy for dogs
Minimum. Wanted to treat until symptoms were gone.
Wish humans got same treatment. Until symptoms are gone.
Posts: 4358 | From British Columbia, Canada | Registered: Jun 2013
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steve1906
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16206
posted
After I got sick I enlarged my backyard deck.
The only place my dogs go are on this deck, they never walk on grass.
I know this is not natural, but I’m saving their life’s by doing so, and my family’s life from getting any sicker.
One of my dogs had Lyme some years ago, couldn’t even walk a step. Luckily the meds resolved all her problems within two days.
Dogs and cats will always drop ticks, & many other unwanted insects in our homes, be very careful.
Steve
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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poppy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5355
posted
Your description about the treatment situation in KS is truly shocking. How did we get into a situation like this with "modern" medicine? How many people's lives must be destroyed before it changes?
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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