Boston with Lyme Disease... Help...?

Riss · 08-18-2007, 08:26 PM

Hey guys...

My Boston Terrier, Brutus, has lyme disease. He's had it for years, and has flare ups every so often, usually a day after he's been outside playing for an hour or two. He's about 8 years old.

But today's flare up is bad...
He's on my lap right now (all 27lbs of him..) going between panting and shivering. His legs, and shoulder/hip joins hurt so bad that he cries out whenever he tries to move. His nose is a bit warm too.

I've never seen him pant during one of his flares up before... And its really kind of worrying me. If it wasn't 8:30pm on a Saturday night, I'd be driving him to the nearest vet.

Just wondering what your thoughts are on how I could possibly make him more comfortable. He's just so.. miserable...

vaknitter · 08-19-2007, 01:50 AM

No advice to offer.... hope he is okay. Does your vet office not have a DVM on call 24/7? My inderstanding of dogs panting is that it can be the obvious sign their hot, but it can also be a sign of distress...I would probably try to get in touch with a vet, but I'm kind of a worry wart.

I know how horrible it is to watch a pet suffer. They thought my dog had lyme disease and after a week long stay in the ICU and the joint pain you describe they titered him and determined it was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It was a long road back to where he is now.

mimi · 08-19-2007, 02:13 AM

My 14 year old cairn terrier Buster had lyme disease last year. He had to go on antibiotics for a month solid. The vet said it was the worst case she had ever seen. I actually thought it was his time, but fortunately the meds kicked in and he is as well as an old old dog who is blind and deaf can be. Oh, and the vet told me to put him on a diet.
Right.

Riss · 08-19-2007, 02:24 AM

Well, we've been told that once lyme has set in, no amount of antibiotics will get rid of it. It's a life long issue of sore joints and tiredness.

He seems to be doing a bit better after I took him outside. Its about 60 degrees and the little bit of a walk down the street seemed to help the panting a bit...

He's finally gone to bed. Hoping he'll feel better in the morning :(

Knitting_Guy · 08-19-2007, 04:33 AM

If he's panting then he is likely running a fever. A cool bath would help bring down his body temp.

bellium · 08-19-2007, 06:06 AM

antibiotics WILL help, whoever told you they won't was incorrect. there is a test now called a C6 antibody test that can give you a number that will tell you how many of the bacteria that cause lyme are in your pet's system. it is a good idea to run the test, start a solid 4-6 week course of antibiotics (doxycycline is best if your pet will tolerate it), then re-test the C6 test 6 months later - if the bacteria are still at a high level, you can repeat the ABs.

the shivering can be caused by a fever which, in turn, can be caused by the lyme. you can ask your vet for rimadyl, metacam, or one of the other NSAIDs available for a temporary fix, but the antibiotics are what your dog needs for the lyme disease - it is also important to use a good tick preventative to help prevent further exposure - preventic collars work the best for ticks, specifically.

beckyrhae · 08-19-2007, 07:43 AM

I hope Brutus is feeling better and you find a vet that will treat the lyme disease.

vaknitter · 08-19-2007, 12:15 PM

WOW - I agree with previous poster, never heard of Lyme Disease not being treated !! Maybe you should seek a second opinion. Our dog was treated with Doxycycline - it causes nausea and is hard to tolerate orally so we paid out the wazoo to have it ground into a liquid for his IV and gradually he began to tolerate it orally. He was on it almost 3 months. He is still on Duramax (NSAID) and Lorbid (??) its a low dose narcotic pain killer for his bad days.

Best of Luck and hope Brutus is feeling better soon.

psammeadred · 08-20-2007, 12:26 AM

My Welsh Corgi had Lyme disease earlier this year. The first clue was that when she had her teeth cleaned, her platelet (blood-clotting cell) count was down. The vet did a test while she was under, and he sent her home with antibiotics. I'd noticed that she had been less playful - we just thought she was starting to show her age (almost 13 years old). But we gave her the antibiotics, and she's running up the stairs and jumping on the bed just like when she was a puppy. (Of course, she's also digging like when she was a puppy.)

BostonBecca · 08-20-2007, 03:32 AM

My family's dog had Lyme, and they gave her the vaccine for Lyme. She's now negative for it. You should try talking to a different vet about it. It worked as a cure for my dog, I hope something helps yours.