Ticks and Arthritis in dogs
In a previous post I listed the main causes of arthritis in dogs. (See post from November 2, 2009 on this blog). Aside from those, there are other reasons for arthritis, deserving of their own post. These include immune mediated arthritis (similar to the human version called Rheumatoid Arthritis) and infectious reasons for arthritis. For example, in different parts of the country, such as the Eastern Seaboard, if you were to take your dog to the vet for limping, your veterinarian may check for infectious diseases such as Lyme and Anaplasmosis. Lyme Disease (and not Lime Disease) is a tick borne disease that can give your dog swollen joints, shifting leg lameness and can cause them to feel pretty down and out.
Most common signs of Lyme disease:
