Canine Lyme Disease Nephritis

A Rare Fatal Complication of Lyme Disease in Dogs

Mar 6, 2009 Lorie Huston

Though the most common symptom of Lyme disease in dogs is lameness, Lyme disease can sometimes affect the kidneys, causing renal failure and eventually death.

Though the most common symptom of Lyme disease in dogs is lameness caused by joint pain and swelling, veterinarians are also recognizing a form of the disease referred to as Lyme nephritis. This is a form of Lyme disease which causes damage to the kidney of the dog and results in kidney failure and eventually death.

Symptoms of Canine Lyme Disease Nephritis

Lyme disease nephritis symptoms are those of renal failure and may consist of:

• Vomiting
• Not eating
• Lethargy
• Weight loss
• Increased water consumption
• Increased urine volume
• Swelling of legs

Other milder symptoms of Lyme disease may have been noticed previously. The dog may have shown evidence of lameness, fever and/or general malaise. It is possible that the dog may been a chronic carrier of Lyme disease.

Diagnosis of Canine Lyme Disease Nephritis

Diagnosing nephritis caused by Lyme disease is based on identifying a positive Lyme disease antibody test using either a Idexx SNAP 3DX or 4DX or a quantitative C6 antibody level along with evidence of renal involvement.

Determining renal involvement involves blood tests (complete blood count, serum chemistry blood profile) and urine tests (urinalysis, protein:creatinine ratio).

• Blood tests should reveal elevated BUN and creatinine values, indicating that kidneys are not functioning within their normal limits.
• Blood tests will also likely reveal decreased protein levels due to protein loss through the kidneys.
• Urine tests should reveal protein in the urine, resulting from abnormal amounts of protein passing through the kidneys and ending up in the urine.
• Urine tests will also likely reveal a low specific gravity, indicating that urine is dilute because the kidneys are not able to work properly and create a concentrated urine.

Once it has been determined that both a positive Lyme disease antibody test and renal involvement is present, the next step is ruling out other causes of renal disease. A positive Lyme antibody titer or test does not automatically lead to a diagnosis of Lyme disease nephritis. Other tests which may need to be done include:

• abdominal radiographs
• abdominal ultrasonography
• biopsies of the kidney

Treatment of Canine Lyme Disease Nephritis

Treatment for Lyme disease nephritis in dogs is aimed at improving the function of the kidneys. Potential treatments may include:

• intravenous fluids
• feeding a "kidney diet" with restricted phosphorus, salt and protein levels
• phosphorus binders, such as aluminum hydroxide
• calcitriol
• antibiotics, including doxycycline
• ACE inhibitors, such as enalapril or benazapril
• gastrotomy or PEG tube to provide nutrition if not eating
• kidney dialysis

Prognosis for Canine Lyme Disease Nephritis

The prognosis for dogs suffering from nephritis caused by Lyme disease is poor. Usually the disease is fatal at this stage.

The copyright of the article Canine Lyme Disease Nephritis in Dogs is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Canine Lyme Disease Nephritis in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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Apr 4, 2009 3:30 AM

Guest :

Our one year old labrador retriever bitch - Googly - has stopped eating after she had high temperature for two days (104.4). When taken to the vet she was administered antibiotcs and anti inflammatories through I.V.fluids. The vet advised us to keep an eye on her urine. Today I saw that she pissed blood red. Does it indicate nephritis. Am I supposed to be cautioned about something serious? - A life threat? Plz help. -Posted by julienjoy2000@yahoo.co.in

Apr 4, 2009 2:11 PM

Lorie Huston :

I'm so sorry to hear about your lab and her illness. I know how difficult it is to deal with a sick pet and how helpless it can leave you feeling.

As to what is causing the blood in her urine, I'm afraid that I can't answer that question with any accuracy without examining your dog. There are many different possibilities ranging from minor to serious. A reaction to a medication cannot be ruled out but other possibilities include bladder infections, bladder stones, kidney infections, bleeding disorders plus a whole lot of others.

Yes, Lyme disease nephritis is a possibility but I'm not sure how likely since I don't your dog's medical history. Had she tested positive for Lyme disease in the past? What testing has been done for her and what were the results? Is the blood present the entire time she is urinating or is it just present at the end? Has your lab been spayed? Has she been exposed to ticks?

I wish I had the answers you're looking for and wish I could help you more. The best advice I can give you is to contact your veterinarian and let him/her know about the bloody urine. Your vet is in the best position to advise you what to do from here.

Good luck and please keep in touch and let me know how your baby makes out.

Sincerely,
Lorie Huston

Apr 18, 2009 8:10 AM

Guest :

My 8+yr old cocker spaniel had his regular Vet exam. The result, he has kidney failure. No reasons given, "try this canine kit". We went to another Vet to get answers. Another $400. told us the same, however ran a test to determin it was kidney failure due to Lyme disease! He was vaccinated for the last 6 years. How did he get the Lyme disease and why won't our Vet tell us what he did or didm't do. We couted on this Vet to be our caregiver for our pet. This should not have happened and as a result we cannot get any answers so I now have a very low opinion of the Veterinary. If this had been a regular doctor...
I have spent $800 so far with no answers and information on what the time line is what to expect or how to prepare; they all are willing to set up more appointments to run more tests...that will do nothing for his well-being. I need to know how to care for him at home until his time has come. I will not put him through unnecessary drawn out painful
things that will only require more payments for incompetence.
Shirley for Ajay in Minnesota

Apr 18, 2009 2:36 PM

Lorie Huston :

Shirley,

Learning of your Cocker Spaniel's illness must have been devastating for you. You have my sympathies.

Unfortunately, it's very difficult for me to comment directly on your dog's illness because I don't really have a great deal of history or information about his condition. I can understand why you feel frustrated and upset. I can even understand your anger with the veterinarians involved. But the truth is, they may not be giving you the answers to the questions you're asking because they may not know the answers themselves.

Diagnosing any disease in a dog or cat can be difficult at best and there are many different things which can cause kidney disease or kidney failure. Lyme disease is one of those diseases but is only one of many possibilities. A positive Lyme disease test by itself does not always indicate with certainty that Lyme disease is the cause of the symptoms that your dog is suffering.

My suggestion to you would be to talk with the veterinarian(s) you have been dealing with and pose your questions directly. Try not be antagonistic. Let the doctor know you are simply trying to understand what is happening to your dog so that you can take care of him properly. Try not to make any accusations about any wrong doing. This will not accomplish what you need to do. Ask the veterinarian what you can do for your dog and let him/her know up front what your feelings about invasive or painful testing or treatments are.

It is likely that you will find the veterinarian is willing to work with you to try to keep your dog comfortable. It is also possible that the veterinarian may be able to suggest some simple options which could slow down the progression of the disease. Sometimes something as simple as a change in diet can make it easier for your dog's kidneys to do their work and can make a difference in your dog's health condition.

Good luck with your pet. I hope all turns out well for both of you.

Sincerely,
Lorie Huston

Apr 20, 2009 3:16 PM

Guest :

Our dog was diagnosed with lyme disease 4-6 weeks ago! Last week his belly started getting real big, I thought it was something he ate (he's a lab, and often times gets loose). Anyway, today, we brought him in and they did tests and his liver and kidneys are failing, we are going to have to put him down. I just found this site today, and it breaks my heart that they didn't do the blood tests when they did the lyme test. This is the only place that we found the Swollen feet as a symptom, which is what originally prompted us to bring him in. I wish the vets would have been privvy to this type of lyme. Regardless, we're going to have to spend some loving, quality time with him before we bring him in for his final visit!
:(

Aug 21, 2009 11:36 AM

Guest :

Our 4 year old lab was diagnosed with Lymse Nephris in June. His symptoms included lameness and not eating. Since being on NF kidney diet, no treats or bones, and treatment of Enalipro, aspirin, prednisone, fish oil capsules and 45 days of antibiotics (along with some other treatments for diarrhea and bladder issues) his protein-creatinine ratio dropped in 3 weeks from 15 to 1.8, huge improvement. His symptoms, however, have cropped back up again despite getting better for a couple of weeks. The doctor thinks the wasting away-weight loss and difficulty urinating are related to prolonged steroid use, but they do not want to completely take him off steroids (he is on 10mg and now weighs 61 lbs...originally 78 lbs). He has now been extremely restless and not sleeping at night, constantly starving despite continuing to feed him more (4 cans of NF per day) and is having diarrhea 2x per day, sometimes in the house. Do you have any suggestions on how to keep him comfortable and what to do next? Have you seen symptoms present themselves in this manner before and have any suggestions?
thank you for your assistance.

Aug 21, 2009 9:01 PM

Lorie Huston :

I'm sorry about your lab's illness. And I truly wish I could help you. Unfortunately, there are just too many variables at play here and without the opportunity to examine your dog and peruse previous history and test results, there is just no way for me to be able to tell you what is happening with your dog. I can tell you that Lyme nephritis can be very difficult to treat and how it occurs is not well understood at this point.

The best suggestion I can make to you right now is to sit down and have a discussion with your veterinarian about what he/she thinks is going on and how you can make your dog more comfortable. Your veterinarian is in the best position to be able to answer these questions for you as he/she is most familiar with your dog's illness and physical condition.

Good luck to you. I hope all works out well for you and your lab.

Oct 1, 2009 1:35 PM

Guest :

My siberian husky was diagnosed with Lyme Nephritis (& PLN) about 2 weeks ago. My vet suggested that we look at using immunosuppressive therapy to try to shock her system into freezing the kidney damage where it is. He said if her #s don't improve next week, we should really consider it then. Have you heard anything about using immunosuppressive therapy in pulse doses as a last ditch effort to help stop kidney failure?

Oct 3, 2009 8:31 PM

Lorie Huston :

I'm not exactly sure what you're referencing here. Calcitriol does have some immunomodulating effects and is frequently used in cases of glomerulonephritis (kidney disease, PLN) regardless of cause. Doxycycline also has some anti-inflammatory effects.

The fact is, each patient is different and must be evaluated based on their individual status. For this reason, it is very difficult to diagnose a condition without having examined a pet and nearly impossible to give accurate information regarding treatment of that pet over the internet without physically examining him/her. I would advise posing any questions you may have to the veterinarian treating your pet. If you feel more comfortable seeking a second opinion, consider asking your veterinarian if there is a specialist nearby who could consult on your pet's case.

Good luck. Having a pet with kidney disease is difficult. You have my sympathies and my best wishes for both of you.

Dec 1, 2009 10:56 AM

Guest :

Just lost our Best friend Last night!
Our little 3 year old Beagle Named Snoopy! He came to us 1 year old delivered on my daughters Birthday. He has slept under the covers with my 9 year old Daughter ever since! 1 month ago Snoopy lost his appetite and was tired, this came at the same time our kids were just diagnosed with flu. we thought it could be related, we waited several days hoping he would improve then went to the Vet. 4 days later that vet had lab work back saying High kidney levels and Positive Lyme! So we went to the Best Hospital in area and Began treatment 5 days later we brought our snoopy home with all his Meds, 4 days later had another recheck and they said stop the high blood pressure meds as it is fine. we where on Doxy Now and it was hurting Snoopys belly. after 2 weeks of fighting that they switched us to Amoxacylin and Snoopy was again interested in food, All seemed well for about a week and he had good weight and was still tired but full of life on walks outside! We were very hopeful and tried everything suggested along with his Meds! So just this last week his eyes were gradually getting Glassy! But he was eating and seemed to be improving! Ate very well all day then my wife thought he could not see! I took him from my daughters bed and in the hall light his eyes stayed dialated! We rushed him to the hospial again and they said high blood pressure had caused complete retna disconects! So now our baby was blind, They said to put him down then! My now 11 year old daughter was waiting at home for him so we had to bring him home! This was the day before her 11th birthday! She jumped in our bed the next morning on her 11th Birthday and asked so did they say wha twas wrong with Snoopys eyes! This was on her Birthday two years after we got this little Beagle! We had considered not telling her until the next day but Snoopy was in pain and now blind, his heart was beating like crazy so we had to tell her and help her understand it would not be fair to keep Snoopy suffering! That night after making calls all day looking for hope someplace we Brought our little Snoopy at just 3 years old back to the hospital to be euthanized! This was the hardest time we have ever had and Will really miss our Best Friend Snoopy! I know this will take some time To get feeling better but that little Guy got shortchanged! He was the cutest little Beagle we ever saw and The last month we all fell much deeper in love with him knowing he was in trouble! I miss him

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