Or...Search This Site Home Symptoms Live Discussion Diagnosis Treatment World-wide Support Finder Library Research Lymelinks Contact Pets & Lyme DONATIONS Drug Info Medical Dictionary Board of Directors      Click on the graphic to vote for this site as a Starting Point Hot Site. -- No Warranties or Representations The data and information presented in this web site are presented in good faith and believed to be accurate. Any and all liability for the content or any omissions including any inaccuracies, errors, or misstatements in such data or information is expressly disclaimed. The web site is compiled for the sole purpose of informing community members of resources and information pertaining to Lyme Borreliosis Disease and its coinfections. The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, Directors and members are not liable for any direct or indirect damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of information available from this website. Consult a qualified Lyme ( Borreliosis ) Disease literate doctor for medical advice if Lyme Disease is suspect. en français For Physicians Ticks Coinfections Prevention Our Stories Click Here to order our free Lyme Disease Flyer,    Here for our free Lyme Disease Poster ..documents may be copied (to distribute) but edit only for alignment. From: Recent Advances in Canine Infectious Diseases, Carmichael L. (Ed.) International Veterinary Information Service, Ithaca NY (www.ivis.org), 2000; A0109.0400 Lyme Borreliosis In Dogs (Last Updated: 1-Apr-2000) R. K Straubinger Treatment Antibiotics are the treatment of choice for Lyme disease. Tetracyclines (doxycycline), penicillins, (amoxicillin and ceftriaxone), and macrolides (azithromycin) are very effective in improving the clinical status of the patient but fail to eliminate the infection [40, 41]. Antibiotics should be given for 3 or 4 weeks, even though a beneficial effect can be seen after a few days of treatment. The long duration of therapy is warranted because of the very slow multiplication rate of the organism, which takes 12 hours or more to double in number, in contrast to the much shorter times for most other bacteria. Antibiotic therapy reduces the number of organisms in the host, and due to the decreased antigen load, antibody titers drop off. However, positive moderate antibody responses can be expected for years, especially when treatment has been initiated long time after the infection had occurred [40]. Corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs are sometimes used for treatment of Lyme disease in dogs. These drugs should be applied cautiously and in combination with antibiotics. Our studies have shown that persistent, subclinical infection with B. burgdorferi can be reactivated to clinical Lyme arthritis by a two-week course of prednisone [40]. 40. Straubinger RK, Straubinger AF, Summers BA, Jacobson RH. Status of Borrelia burgdorferi infection after antibiotic treatment and the effects of corticosteroids: an experimental study. J Infect Dis 2000; 181:1069-1081. - PubMed - 41. Straubinger RK, Summers BA, Chang YF, Appel MJG. Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi in experimentally infected dogs after antibiotic treatment. J Clin Microbiol 1997; 35:111-116. - PubMed - TOP