Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Borreliosis in Dogs: A Case-Based Approach
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CASE BY CASE: PARASITOLOGY PEER REVIEWED
CASE BY CASE: PARASITOLOGY
Diagnosis and Treatment of
Lyme Borreliosis in Dogs:
A Case-Based Approach
Alaina Moon, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)
Olympia Veterinary Specialists Internal Medicine, Olympia, Washington
Lyme borreliosis is caused by the spirochete Borrelia and arthritis syndrome has been induced in dogs,5,6 no
burgdorferi, which is transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes experimental model exists for Lyme (Borrelia)
genus.1 In the United States, Lyme borreliosis is most nephritis,3,7,8 which limits our understanding of the
commonly identified in the Northeast and upper pathophysiology. As a result, guidance for diagnosis and
Midwest due to the host preferences of Ixodes ticks treatment depends largely on consensus opinion. This
endemic to those regions.2 It is usually diagnosed in the case-based approach highlights best practices in
spring and summer due to tick activity and human and diagnosis and treatment of Lyme borreliosis in the
canine outdoor recreation.3 The most frequently context of 3 common clinical scenarios.
recognized syndromes associated with Lyme borreliosis
in dogs are acute polyarthritis and glomerulonephritis.
CASE 1: POLYARTHRITIS
Confusion surrounds the diagnosis and treatment of Case 1 was a 27-kg, 4-year-old castrated male pointer
Lyme borreliosis, in part because most seropositive dogs with a 48-hour history of lethargy and unwillingness to
remain asymptomatic,4 which limits veterinary walk. He was mildly febrile (39.9 °C [103.8 °F]) and Brad Whitford Photography/shutterstock.com
professionals’ ability to study naturally occurring had moderate carpal effusion, mild tarsal effusion, and
disease. In addition, although a Borrelia-associated fever moderate prescapular lymphadenopathy. His gait was
Abstract
Diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis requires a combination of diagnostic testing and clinical judgment. This article
provides 3 case examples of presenting complaints, physical examination findings, and screening laboratory
abnormalities that accompany Lyme borreliosis. There is no singular confirmatory test. Treatment for the clinical
syndromes most commonly associated with Lyme borreliosis—polyarthritis and glomerulonephritis—is doxycycline,
plus immunosuppressives for dogs with rapidly progressive glomerular disease. Asymptomatic dogs with positive
serologic results do not require treatment but should be screened for proteinuria for 1 year.
18 MAY/JUNE 2023 todaysveterinarypractice.comPEER REVIEWED CASE BY CASE: PARASITOLOGY
Take-Home Points
No single test can prove that Polyarthritis resulting from immunosuppression is frequently
Lyme borreliosis is the cause of Lyme borreliosis is expected to necessary along with doxycycline
illness; therefore, the diagnosis respond rapidly to treatment with treatment. Immunosuppression
requires a combination of doxycycline; if rapid improvement is ideally based on renal
diagnostic testing and clinical is not noted, other causes of histopathology, although biopsy
judgment. polyarthropathy should be may not be possible for all
considered. patients.
A lack of reported tick exposure
is not sufficient to rule out Lyme The glomerular disease Most dogs with positive
borreliosis. associated with Lyme borreliosis Borrelia serologic results are
can be severe, progressive, and asymptomatic; these dogs should
The recommended treatment rapidly fatal. be screened for proteinuria
for Lyme borreliosis in dogs is a during the first year after
4-week course of doxycycline. In dogs with severe, rapidly positive serology is identified,
progressive glomerular disease and prophylactic doxycycline
and positive Borrelia serology, treatment is not indicated.
tentative and short strided. He had recently been taken After 48 hours, the client reported dramatic
hunting, although no tick infestation was reported. improvement in the patient’s willingness to walk. By
the next week, his tentative gait, joint effusion, and
Lab work revealed mild thrombocytopenia, minimally lymphadenopathy had resolved. The client had
concentrated urine, and B burgdorferi antibodies discontinued analgesics several days earlier when the
(TABLE 1). The findings of polyarthropathy and dog was no longer perceived to be painful, but the
positive Borrelia serology raised suspicion for doxycycline was continued for 4 weeks. Recheck
polyarthritis caused by Lyme borreliosis. However, examination 3 weeks after doxycycline discontinuation
because of the high prevalence of asymptomatic dogs revealed no recurrence of painful gait, joint effusion, or
with positive serologic results, further investigation to lymphadenopathy. Urinalysis was monitored every
rule out alternative causes of polyarthropathy was 4 months for the first year after diagnosis to screen for
recommended. Carpal and tarsal radiographs revealed development of proteinuria, but no proteinuria was
no erosive changes. Arthrocentesis was recommended, detected.
but the client declined in favor of doxycycline with a
plan to proceed with arthrocentesis if improvement was
not seen. Initial treatment was doxycycline (5.5 mg/kg CASE 2: NEPHRITIS
PO q12h) with gabapentin (7.4 mg/kg PO q12h) and Case 2 was a 6.8-kg, 7.5-year-old spayed female
codeine (1.1 mg/kg PO q12h) for pain control. Maltese mix that was presented to her primary care
TABLE 1 Laboratory Values for Case 1: Dog With Polyarthritis
TEST (REFERENCE RANGE) VALUE NOTES
Blood chemistry Within reference range
Platelet clumping on slides noted;
Platelet count, platelets/µL
167 000 platelet count estimated to be within
(170 000–377 000)
reference range
USG (1.015–1.05) 1.053 with 1+ protein
UPC (CASE BY CASE: PARASITOLOGY PEER REVIEWED
veterinarian for chronic diarrhea. A chemistry panel Doxycycline was initiated (5.7 mg/kg PO q12h) for
revealed azotemia and mild hypoalbuminemia; urine 4 weeks and benazepril was continued (0.3 mg/kg PO
was mildly dilute with an inactive sediment and q24h). Amlodipine (0.25 mg/kg PO q24h) was
3+ protein (TABLE 2). Treatment was initiated with initiated for treatment of hypertension and clopidogrel
benazepril (0.3 mg/kg PO q24h). Three months later, (1.8 mg/kg PO q24h) was initiated for
repeat lab work revealed progressive azotemia, thromboprophylaxis, based on concern for
progressive hypoalbuminemia, and persistent hypercoagulability in dogs with protein-losing
proteinuria. A prescription renal diet was prescribed glomerular disease,9 which may put them at risk for
and the patient was referred for further diagnostics. thromboembolic complications.10,11
At the time of referral, the patient was feeling well. A At a recheck examination 2 weeks later, hypertension
chemistry panel revealed stable azotemia and was improved but persistent and blood urea nitrogen
progressive hypoalbuminemia. A complete blood count and creatinine were unchanged. Amlodipine was
revealed marked thrombocytopenia, and the urine increased to 0.5 mg/kg PO q24h.
specific gravity was within reference range but with
increased protein. A urine bacterial culture was Three days after doxycycline completion, lab work
negative. The urine protein:creatinine ratio (UPC) was revealed stable azotemia, persistently marked
markedly elevated. SNAP 4Dx (IDEXX, idexx.com) proteinuria, persistently marked thrombocytopenia,
testing was positive for antibodies to B burgdorferi. The and decreased blood pressure. C6 titer was lower but
patient was markedly hypertensive, and C6 antibody still above reference range. Renal biopsy was
titer was elevated. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed recommended to further characterize the
a mild loss of corticomedullary definition with no other glomerulopathy but was not performed due to the risks
renal or extrarenal abnormalities. posed by thrombocytopenia. Instead, empiric
immunosuppressive treatment (mycophenolate mofetil
TABLE 2 Laboratory Values for Case 2: Dog With Nephritis
TEST 3 DAYS AFTER 3 MONTHS AFTER
(REFERENCE 3 MONTHS DOXYCYCLINE IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE
RANGE) INITIAL LATER AT REFERRAL COMPLETION THERAPY INITIATION
Platelet count,
platelets/µL 30 000 32 000
(170 000–377 000)
BUN,
66 81 79 77 68
mg/dL (9–31)
Creatinine,
2.7 4.4 4.2 4.3 3
mg/dL (0.5–1.3)
Albumin,
2.3 1.9 1.7
g/dL (2.7–3.9)
C6 titer,
281 103
U/mL (PEER REVIEWED CASE BY CASE: PARASITOLOGY
at 9 mg/kg PO q12h) was elected. Telmisartan therapy A positive Borrelia antibody test in a dog with
(0.6 mg/kg PO q24h) was initiated and benazepril was proteinuria suggests, but does not confirm, that
discontinued. Two weeks later, hypertension was Borrelia is the cause of glomerulopathy. One study even
controlled, thrombocytopenia was resolved (280 000/ suggests that proteinuria is an uncommon finding in
µL), and azotemia was stable. dogs with Borrelia antibodies12; therefore, a thorough
diagnostic investigation of proteinuria is warranted.13
Three months after institution of immunosuppressive Nevertheless, because glomerulonephritis caused by
therapy, the patient was polyuric and polydipsic but Lyme borreliosis can be rapidly progressive, doxycycline
otherwise feeling well. Proteinuria was markedly treatment should be initiated concurrently with
improved, azotemia was persistent but improved, and standard therapy and investigation of glomerular
hypertension remained controlled. The patient disease.7 Detailed descriptions of standard therapy and
returned to her primary care veterinarian for ongoing investigation of glomerular disease are published
care; however, 13 months later she was euthanized due elsewhere and typically involve a combination of
to complications of progressive kidney disease. antihypertensives, angiotensin-converting enzyme
inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers,
antithrombotics, and prescription renal diets.14
CASE 3: ASYMPTOMATIC,
SEROLOGY-POSITIVE For dogs that are clinically stable and nonazotemic,
Case 3 was a 10-year-old spayed female terrier initial management can involve antibiotics and
presented for routine vaccinations. She was feeling well standard glomerular disease therapies. Renal biopsy
and physical examination was unremarkable other than should be recommended for dogs with azotemia or
a chronic grade 3/6 left apical systolic heart murmur. A rapidly progressive disease.3,7 Although renal biopsy
SNAP 4Dx test performed for yearly heartworm cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship between
screening was positive for B burgdorferi antibodies but Borrelia and glomerular disease,15 one justification for
negative for Anaplasma species and Ehrlichia canis renal biopsy in these dogs is to enable differentiation
antibodies and negative for Dirofilaria immitis antigen. between immune-mediated glomerular disease, which
would be expected to respond to immunosuppression,
To follow up on the positive Borrelia serology, full and causes that would not be expected to respond to
laboratory work was performed. Chemistry panel and immunosuppression. If renal biopsy is not elected or is
complete blood count were within reference ranges. not safe to perform (as for Case 2), or if glomerular
Urinalysis revealed specific gravity within reference disease is too severe or rapidly progressive to await
range (1.033) and trace protein. A UPC ratio of biopsy results, cautious immunosuppression may be
0.1 ruled out clinically significant proteinuria. warranted along with antibiotic therapy.3,7 The
recommended first-line immunosuppressive for
Urinalysis was repeated every 4 months for the next glomerular disease is mycophenolate mofetil, with the
12 months. Any protein detected on urinalysis was optional short-term addition of glucocorticoids for
followed up with a UPC ratio. Clinically significant severe, rapidly progressive cases.16
proteinuria did not develop during the 12-month
monitoring period. At the next annual screening, the The recommended first-line antibiotic treatment for
SNAP 4Dx result remained positive for B burgdorferi Lyme borreliosis is doxycycline, although optimal dose
antibodies but the patient remained healthy. and duration of treatment are not known. The current
recommendation is to continue treatment for 4 weeks.3
For Lyme borreliosis–associated polyarthritis, a robust
DISCUSSION response is expected within 48 hours; a lack of response
According to the American College of Veterinary within this time frame should prompt investigation for
Internal Medicine’s (ACVIM) consensus statement on other causes of polyarthropathy.8 Controversy exists
Lyme disease in dogs, diagnosis requires basing clinical around using C6 antibody titers to guide treatment
judgment on evidence of exposure, consistent clinical duration. Measuring C6 titers before and 6 months
signs, consideration of other differentials, and response after starting treatment may be useful as a decrease of
to treatment.8 The cases discussed here highlight the 50% or more likely indicates decreased antigenic load
variability of clinical presentations associated with as a result of effective treatment. On the other hand,
Lyme borreliosis. evidence that the magnitude of C6 titer correlates to the
todaysveterinarypractice.com MAY/JUNE 2023 21CASE BY CASE: PARASITOLOGY PEER REVIEWED
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induced by vaccination with a canine Lyme disease bacterin. Clin
Alaina Moon Vaccine Immunol. 2010;17(5):870-874. doi:10.1128/CVI.00524-09
Dr. Moon is an internist in small animal clinical practice. 20. Eschner AK, Mugnai K. Immunization with a recombinant subunit
She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison OspA vaccine markedly impacts the rate of newly acquired Borrelia
and completed her residency at Oregon State University burgdorferi infections in client-owned dogs living in a coastal
in 2018. Her clinical interests include hematology, community in Maine, USA. Parasit Vectors. 2015;8:92. doi:10.1186/
s13071-015-0676-x
infectious disease, and the intersections of human and
animal health.
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