Duration | Lyme disease treatment

Duration

The duration of Lyme disease treatment in the early stages is 2-4 weeks of antibiotic therapy. In later stages longer treatment periods are necessary, as the bacterial load is already higher. In the late stages, the usefulness of antibiotics is currently being discussed, as there is disagreement as to whether the side effects of antibiotics do not exceed the benefits that the patient derives from them.

In these cases it is difficult to find the balance between sufficient treatment on the one hand and a tolerable level of side effects on the other. The late stage can occur after only a few months, and then become chronic for months and years. But even in this stage, healing is still possible, although often permanent damage such as joint problems cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, an all too early conversion of the antibiotic is not recommended. According to the guidelines, a conversion should only take place after four weeks if the antibiotic used does not seem to have any effect.

Borreliosis treatment in animals

The differences of a Lyme disease treatment for humans and animals are small: Like my human, most animals get infected with the Borrelia bacteria through a tick bite. The most common form of Lyme disease in the northern hemisphere is also for animals the “Lyme disease”. After Lyme disease was first diagnosed for humans in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut, USA, it was first diagnosed for an animal, or more precisely, a dog, in 1984 in New York.

The symptoms are also relatively unspecific and usually manifest themselves as fever, listlessness, and loss of appetite. In later stages, the pathogen then spreads to the organ system, affecting the heart, kidneys and liver, and can also lead to “Lyme arthritis“, an arthritis that occurs mainly in the knee joint. This can be treated by puncturing excess synovial fluid from the affected joint – a procedure that must be repeated at regular intervals.

If the bacteria attack the nervous system (neuroborreliosis), this can lead to aggressive behaviour of the animal. Movement disorders have also been observed. T he observations apply mainly to dogs, cats seem to be relatively immune to a Borrelia infection.

The treatment of Lyme disease depends, as in humans, on the stage of the disease and is carried out by means of antibiosis. The duration of the Lyme disease treatment is 2-3 weeks, after which the antibiotic should either be changed if there is no improvement, or discontinued after healing. After walks in the forest it is always advisable to check the animal for ticks by combing the coat.

Usually these are relatively easy to feel. The removal is best done with the help of tick forceps, which are available at the pharmacy as well as in pet shops. With these tongs the tick can be removed slowly and controlled.

Unlike in humans, vaccination is available for animals. This vaccination must be refreshed annually and after the first administration repeated (“boostered”) after 3-4 weeks. Furthermore, fragrances are available, which are usually applied to the neck of the animal.

These cover up the scent of the animal and make it appear uninteresting to ticks. For cats, however, these chemotactic agents are rather unpleasant, as their personal scent is very important to them and is also part of their personality. It should also be noted that only the Borrelia species (borrelia burgdorfia), which is most common in Central Europe, is vaccinated against, and other strains also exist, against which there may be no vaccination protection. Therefore an additional protection with scents and control of the coat is especially useful for dogs.