Lyme disease, transmitted by Ixodes ticks, is an increasingly common infection in dogs in endemic areas, causing joint pain, lethargy, and potentially serious kidney disease if untreated — yet it is largely preventable with appropriate tick control.
Lyme disease causes real suffering in affected dogs. The joint pain and stiffness of acute Lyme disease can be severe, reducing mobility and causing chronic discomfort. Dogs with Lyme nephritis suffer from kidney failure, which is associated with nausea, weakness, and profound illness. The welfare tragedy is that Lyme disease is largely preventable — effective tick prevention products and vaccination significantly reduce infection risk in endemic areas. The disease is particularly insidious because dogs cannot communicate their level of pain, and the intermittent lameness of early Lyme can be easy to attribute to other causes, delaying diagnosis and treatment. Year-round tick prevention in endemic areas is the most important welfare intervention for dogs at risk.