Lyme disease in dogs, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi transmitted by ticks, causes joint pain, fever, and potentially fatal kidney disease in susceptible dogs, with prevention far preferable to treatment.
Lyme disease causes genuine suffering in affected dogs: the shifting lameness is painful enough to cause limping and reluctance to bear weight; the fever causes malaise and reduced appetite; and Lyme nephritis represents a progressive, often fatal welfare emergency. The kidney disease associated with Lyme infection is particularly insidious — it may develop silently over months after the acute infection, becoming apparent only when kidney function is severely compromised. The welfare calculation strongly favours prevention: tick prevention products combined with vaccination in endemic areas provide highly effective protection at low cost and minimal welfare burden. Year-round tick prevention is increasingly recommended as tick season extends with climate change. Owners in endemic areas who skip tick prevention expose their dogs to a substantial risk of a painful, potentially fatal disease that is almost entirely preventable.