Dog Lyme treatment: When to retest? Also, what do high kidneys mean?

Question

My dog Dash is 11 years old, Golden Retriever + Cocker Spanel Mix. He recently tested positive for Lyme and was prescribed Doxycycline for 30 days. He has none of the normal symptoms or stiffness associated with Lyme but I had 2 quick questions 1. How long after the treatment is complete can I have him checked to see if the medication worked? 2. His bloodwork came back and showed his Kidneys are a 1.7 ( supposed to be a 1). What does this mean? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 11 years and 1 month old | 22 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your questions. After the treatment of 4 weeks with Doxycycline, you can test Dash for Lymes by sending out a test called a PCR. This particular test is usually expensive but will tell you if Dash has a current active infection of Lymes. Unfortunately, with Lymes disease, it is never eradicated from the body, treatment gets it down to a very low bacterial burden to the point where no symptoms are evident. The snap ELISA test that is done in the veterinary hospital, will likely always show positive, but this is because it tests for antibodies to Lymes, which Dash will likely have for years (if not forever). His creatinine being elevated could indicate early kidney disease. I would recommend having the veterinarian assess his urine to see if it is adequately concentrating and also check an SDMA test to help establish whether or not he has early renal disease and what stage it is. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Dog Lyme treatment: When to retest? Also, what do high kidneys mean?

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