Urgent — same day vet contact
Within days
Lyme disease in dogs
Shifting lameness, fever, lethargy, off food in the weeks after a tick bite — phone the vet for Lyme testing.
Recognise the signs
- Shifting lameness — different leg each day
- Fever
- Lethargy, off food
- Joint swelling
- Rare: kidney involvement (Lyme nephritis — serious)
First aid steps
- Phone the vet — Lyme testing usually needs a positive blood antibody plus clinical signs.
Do NOT
- Do not skip prevention assuming Lyme is rare.
- Do not assume every lameness in a tick-exposed dog is Lyme — many other causes.
When to phone the vet immediately
- Severe lethargy, vomiting, increased thirst (kidney involvement)
- Persistent severe lameness
Common causes
- Tick bite transmitting Borrelia burgdorferi
- UK distribution increasing — Highlands, South West, New Forest, East Anglia
What the vet will need to know
- Tick exposure history
- Tick prevention used
- Symptom timeline
Aftercare
- Antibiotic course (typically doxycycline 4 weeks).
- Most respond well to treatment.
- Lyme nephritis is more severe.
Prevention
- Year-round tick prevention.
- Daily tick checks after country walks.
- Prompt tick removal (see pet-tick-removal).
Frequently asked questions
Is Lyme common in UK dogs?
Increasingly recognised, particularly in tick hotspots. Many exposed dogs do not develop clinical disease.
Should I vaccinate?
Lyme vaccines exist but are not core. Discuss risk with the vet based on lifestyle and location.
Can humans catch Lyme from dogs?
Not directly — both get it from ticks. Tick prevention on the dog reduces ticks brought into the home.