Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses cause significant suffering in dogs across endemic regions, with prevention through tick control being far more effective than treating established infection.
Dogs with active Lyme disease experience joint pain severe enough to cause sudden lameness, fever, and profound lethargy. The shifting lameness characteristic of Lyme - affecting different limbs at different times - is confusing and distressing. Lyme nephritis, a rare but serious complication, causes rapid renal failure over days to weeks with significant suffering. Even successfully treated dogs may have recurrent episodes. The entirely preventable nature of Lyme disease through effective tick prevention and vaccination makes each case a welfare failure with clear intervention points.