Lyme disease treatment in dogs

Quick answer

Vets treat dogs that have signs of Lyme disease with antibiotics, most often doxycycline for about a month. Many dogs feel better within one to three days. Many dogs with the common joint form do well, though some have lingering or returning signs. The rare kidney form is more serious and needs closer care.

We do not list doses. Your vet chooses the medicine, amount and length of treatment for your individual dog.

Which dogs get treated?

Treatment is aimed at dogs that are actually sick, for example a dog with shifting lameness, fever and a positive test, after other causes are ruled out. A positive screening test on its own means your dog has been exposed, not that it is ill. Many healthy dogs in high-risk areas test positive.

If your healthy dog tests positive, your vet may suggest blood work, a urine protein check and tests for other tick-borne infections, plus better tick control. Our guide to diagnosis explains the tests.

How Lyme disease in dogs is treated

• Antibiotics. Doxycycline is the usual first choice. Amoxicillin is an alternative for some dogs. The typical course is about four weeks.
• Pain relief. Your vet may add medicine to keep your dog comfortable. Merck mentions gabapentin for nerve-related pain.
• Kidney care. Dogs with Lyme-linked kidney disease may need longer antibiotics plus more intensive treatment. In severe, fast-moving cases, Merck notes vets may use medicines that calm the immune system.
• Rest and follow-up. Your vet will tell you how much activity is OK and when to come back.

What to expect: outlook and life expectancy

For the common form of Lyme disease, with joint pain, lameness and fever, the outlook is generally good. Merck notes most animals respond within one to three days of starting antibiotics. It also notes that in many animals, signs may clear only partly or may return. CAPC adds that in some dogs joint inflammation can become long-term and continue despite treatment.

We found no published “life expectancy” figure for dogs with Lyme disease. Many dogs with the joint form do well once treated. The picture is different for the kidney form, which can progress to kidney failure. How a dog with Lyme-linked kidney disease does depends a lot on how much damage has happened and how early it is found. Your vet is the only one who can give you a realistic outlook for your dog.

Is Lyme disease curable in dogs?

Many dogs recover fully after treatment, and Merck notes that long-term, chronic infection is not well documented in dogs. But “cured” can be hard to prove. Some dogs keep having joint signs, and the bacteria can be hard to detect directly, so vets judge success mostly by how the dog is doing. A dog can also be reinfected by a new tick bite, so prevention matters after treatment too. See Lyme prevention for dogs.

Will my dog always test positive?

Possibly. Antibodies can stay in the blood after successful treatment. Merck notes that quantitative C6 levels don’t always drop, and some dogs stay positive. That is why vets look mainly at how the dog is doing, not just the test.

Some vets use a quantitative test before and after treatment. Cornell’s diagnostic lab says a drop of at least 50% in antibody levels suggests treatment worked, and levels keep falling over time unless the dog is reinfected. Follow-up testing is usually done about 6 weeks after starting treatment for early infection, or about 3 months for longer-term infection.

What about people in the house?

Your dog cannot give you Lyme disease directly, according to the CDC. But if your dog was exposed, ticks may be around your home or yard. Learn the symptoms in people and how Lyme is treated in humans.

Frequently asked questions