Hi Guys,

I've recently heard that Lymes disease (Borreliosis) is becoming more prevalent in the UK.  I don't know how accurate this is so I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were. 

Has anyone had a case of Lymes disease in their dogs and did their vet pick it up or was it considered so rare that it was an improbability and therefore not tested for until much later in the course of the disease?

I'm just wondering if this is becoming a more common condition?

Haven't had experience of it personally but found these links for you

http://www.dog-names.org.uk/dog-health-lyme-disease.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/lymedisease1.shtml

http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/Publications/ENP_Ticks/Ticks_Lyme_disease.htm

Yes; I lost my lovely Phoebe to what was almost certainly Lymes disease last year.

It wasn't picked up on early enough, and she only rallied when given doxycycline (at my insistance), but unfortunately it was too late, and it had affected her heart irrepairably.

A big problem is that the blood test is not reliable, and that not many vets have seen it.

If you need to know more, please PM me

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Thank for those links Dill.  :-)

It's just I was thinking.  My dog has an intermittent limp and as far as I know it's one of the symptoms of Lymes but when I mentioned it to one of my vets( same practise, but not my regular vet) as something to possibly consider he scoffed at me and said I read too much????. So I said to him, isn't it better to be educated than be an ignorant owner?

But what concerned me was his attitude and I thought, if he comes across a dog that had Lymes, would he treat it in time?  Or would it be left until it was too late?  It didn't fulfil me with a lot of confidence and I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience.

Jo, I'm so sorry to hear about Phoebe. :-(  I would be interested to learn more, I'll send you a PM.

Spender,

If I got paid for all the education I have provided my vets with over the years I'd be a very rich person ;)  It always surprises me that they seem to think they have learned everything once they are qualified.  Not all vets are like this, find one who is willing to discuss possibilities without feeling threatened, you willhave more confidence in the vet and have a good working relationship :)

My manager had Lymes disease a few months ago which was caught from a tick ( she says assuming there are other ways to catch it :rolleyes: )

Lymes can be caught from any contact via mouth or a small cut from anything that has had rats pee in it or on it. Since the population of rats is increasing it would appear to be logical that so is Lymes :(

You're thinking of Weils Disease, Bluebell, not Lyme Disease.

oops sorry!

The problem is Dill, that having achieved their qualification, Vets, like Doctors, are under no obligation to keep up to date with new developments.

When I was a Veterinary Nurse MANY years ago, my practice was putting dogs to sleep with an injection of pentothal.  The retired Vet, who still did some work, was using prussic acid and the RSPCA was putting dogs in cabinets with bulldog clips on their ears and electrocuting them.

Val,

Thats so sad :(  you would think that the RSPCA at least would have had access to the kindest way to end a dogs life :(  The older vet had no excuse really, he had younger colleagues to advise :(

Perhaps they should have to re-qualify every 6 years or so, like paramedics ?

Thats so sad   you would think that the RSPCA at least would have had access to the kindest way to end a dogs life   The older vet had no excuse really, he had younger colleagues to advise

Perhaps they should have to re-qualify every 6 years or so, like paramedics ?

Must say that I've never found the RSPCA (not individual staff) particularly kind or caring.  And the old Vet was a sweetie - just kept doing what he'd always done - old habits die hard! :(

Requalify every 6 years would be a brilliant idea, but we don't have enough GPs now without asking them to do that!!  I was discussing with my 84 year old Father this morning.  He said "When you were young, we had no problem seeing Dr Cook the same day that we needed her.  After morning surgey, she visited all the patients who couldn't get there on her bicycle, including delivering all the babies with the help of her midwife, in her area.  Considering we have 6 doctors at our surgery, if modern drugs so good and cure all ills, why are our Doctors too busy to see us??"

Probably because we are not taking enough responsibility for our own health and still drinking, eating and smoking to excess and expecting the NH to cure us amongst other things!!!!!!

I think it is because we expect there to be an almost instance cure for just about everything. In the past if you had a cold you took a hot drink and went to bed, now people expect to be able to carry on working and be feeling fine in a matter of a couple of days.

Doctors may not be under obligation but they are given a bit incentive of extra pay if they complete a certain number of education days a year :)  Nurses, of course, have to do several days before each 3 yearly registration and recieve no extra pay for this :rolleyes:  I'd be very surprised if any doctor, or any vet for that matter, did not subscribe to at least one professional journal.

Dill, This particular vet was an off duty one, same practise though.  My regular vet is very open minded but he doesn't work weekends. 

Spender had a Carprofen injection on Friday to help with the intermittent limp.  He developed a reaction to it and was vomiting over the weekend.  On Saturday he was put on the drip.  But he's fine and dandy now.  

The particular vet I saw was the head of the practise and has been on TV many times.  I got into a conversation with him about Lymes, drug reactions etc and was a taken back with his very fixed response.  I had an interesting chat with my vet on Monday morning tho. ;-)

Ah well,

Just goes to show - being on tv aint everything ;)

Glad your own vet is able to have a grown up conversation with you - I always think that's a good sign :)