Lyme disease: Part 2| Clinical Signs of Lyme Disease | VetGirl Veterinary CE Podcasts

In this VetGirl podcast, we discuss clinical signs seen with Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). In dogs, three states of Lyme disease can be seen. With acute Lyme disease, dogs typically develop transient fever, lethargy, depression, hesitance to move, anorexia, pain, lymphadenopathy, and acute arthritis (seen as a mono- or polyarthropathy). Joints may be inflamed and warm to the touch. Sub-acute signs may also be seen, where lameness can last several weeks. While clinical arthritis may be transient, inflammatory changes to the synovial fluid may be ongoing and potentially persistent. Typically, lameness in dogs occurs months after tick exposure. Chronic signs include cardiac changes (e.g., bradyarrhythmias such as heart block, etc.), neurologic signs, arthritis and changes related to Lyme nephritis (estimated to occur in 1-2% of dogs affected by Lyme disease).