Baltimore Sun

Tick-Borne Lyme Disease Is Putting the Bite on Canines

THE DISEASE THAT'S GOING TO THE DOGS

August 04, 1991|By Beth Smith

In the fall of 1989, 4-year-old Rocky, a small, fluffy dog of possible Pomeranian parentage, began to limp occasionally. His owners, the Leedom family of rural Howard County, didn't pay too much attention at first. Rocky looked healthy and he didn't seem to be in pain.

But in the spring of 1990, with the limp coming and going and showing no signs of disappearing permanently, his owners took Rocky to Twin Oaks Animal Hospital in Ellicott City. Dr. Wendy Feaga wasted no time starting him on antibiotics. A few weeks later, a blood test confirmed her diagnosis. Rocky had Lyme disease.

Generally considered a disease that threatens humans, Lyme can cause "a small percentage of dogs to get very sick and die," says Dr. Michael Garvey, chief of the Department of Medicine at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, the Mayo Clinic for animals. "Without a doubt, Lyme is a serious disease."

And one that's growing. Although statistics aren't kept for dogs with Lyme disease, it's pretty much a given that if people in certain areas have Lyme disease, so do the dogs. Dr. Feaga says some researchers believe that dogs are infected with the disease five to 20 times more than humans. The extent of the problem is significant considering that in the human population, experts say, Lyme is second to AIDS as the fastest growing "new" disease in the United States.

Dr. Feaga, who has Lyme disease herself, sees about two to four Lyme cases a week in her veterinary practice. "Supposedly, heart worms is the big disease in dogs, but I see [only] one case of heart worms each year," she says.

When Rocky was brought in, she immediately suspected Lyme because of the intermittent lameness. Like most dogs with Lyme disease, Rocky responded quickly to treatment. If he hadn't been treated, the outcome could have been different. "Rocky might have been fine," says Dr. Feaga, "or he could have #F developed kidney disease, a rapid heartbeat, neurological symptoms like seizures, severe arthritis, or just become weaker."

IN THE SPREAD OF LYME DISEASE, deer -- who bring infected deer ticks into areas frequented by people and their pets -- are unwitted participants, but important ones. Charles County in Southern Maryland has the largest deer population on the western shore, and veterinarian Scott Cosenza at Mid County Veterinary Clinic in La Plata is feeling the effects. "In our practice, which is relatively small, we saw an explosion of Lyme disease in the middle of the summer of 1990. We were seeing about eight to 10 cases a week, which is significant for us. I would say that in our practice, the number of Lyme disease cases exceeds the numbers of cases we see for all other types of infections."

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-08-04/features/1991216188_1_lyme-disease-in-dogs-rocky