Lyme Disease: Are More Dogs Becoming Infected?

A recent report shows that a higher number of dogs are testing positive for Lyme disease. 

According to Dr. Meryl Littman, dog owners should watch out for the medical problem in their pets. For instance, Littman notes that though around 95 percent of all dogs with Lyme disease will not get sick from it, their illness can easily be passed on to humans through a dangerous bacterium.

"Before pet owners panic, they need to realize that 95 percent of dogs that are Lyme positive don't get sick," said Dr. Meryl Littman, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine who is not affiliated with Banfield or the new report, via Today Health. "But dogs are sentinels for the fact that humans in the same environments are also exposed to ticks carrying these organisms."

Yet how do dogs get infected with Lyme disease? They may come into contact with an infected tick.

However, only 5 percent of all infected dogs will show any symptoms of illness, including fever, fatigue and potentially kidney problems as the health issue progresses.

Talk to your veterinarian about ways to prevent the problem.

As Lyme disease typically occurs three to 30 days after exposure, symptoms for humans may include headache, fever, chills, fatigue and muscle or joint pain. In some cases, a skin rash may also occur. Fortunately, for most, the virus is successfully treated with a few weeks of antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevnetion (CDC).