Adopting a Lyme-Positive Dog: Questions, Kidney Checks and Ongoing Care
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By Dr Duncan Houston
A shelter record saying “Lyme positive” can mean several different things. The dog may have antibodies from previous exposure, current joint-related illness, or a more serious problem requiring ongoing treatment.
Before deciding what care you can provide, ask what the result means for this particular dog. A positive screening test alone does not establish active Lyme disease or predict a poor quality of life.
Quick Answer
Many Lyme-positive dogs remain well and can make excellent companions. Before adoption, obtain the actual test and treatment records, confirm whether the dog has symptoms, and ask about urine protein and kidney assessment. Dogs with clinical disease usually need prescribed treatment, while a healthy dog without proteinuria may need monitoring rather than automatic antibiotics.
Exposure is different from illness
Lyme borreliosis is associated with infection by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria transmitted through infected ticks. Its relevance depends on where the dog has lived or travelled, as well as local tick ecology.
Most exposed dogs do not develop obvious disease. When illness occurs, signs can include fever, reduced appetite, swollen joints and lameness that appears to shift between legs. These signs also have other explanations.
The Companion Animal Parasite Council explains that a positive antibody result must be interpreted alongside clinical findings. Antibodies may persist after treatment, and different tests measure different antibodies. Repeating a positive result is not, by itself, proof of treatment failure.
Ask the shelter these questions
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which test was positive, and on what date? | Your vet needs the actual report and testing context, including vaccine history |
| Has the dog had fever, lameness, joint swelling or appetite changes? | Separates an exposure finding from suspected clinical disease |
| Were urine protein and kidney function assessed? | Early protein loss can be present before obvious kidney symptoms |
| What medicines were given, and were doses missed? | Allows safe transfer of treatment without guessing or duplicating prescriptions |
| Were other tick-borne infections considered? | Coinfections or a different diagnosis may explain abnormal findings |
| What follow-up is already planned? | Helps you arrange appointments, transport and an affordable care plan |
Ask for written records rather than a verbal assurance that the dog is “cured”. Include results that were normal, as these provide a useful baseline. If the dog currently has kidney disease, request a discussion with the treating vet before the adoption handover.
Why the urine check matters
An uncommon but serious kidney condition, often called Lyme nephritis, has been associated with Lyme exposure. It can cause loss of protein through the kidneys and may progress rapidly.
The ACVIM consensus statement recommends screening antibody-positive dogs for proteinuria. Urinalysis, a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio when indicated, blood pressure and blood tests can help characterise an abnormal result.
Protein in urine is not automatically caused by Lyme disease. Infection, inflammation, other kidney disorders and additional causes need consideration. A normal blood creatinine result alone does not rule out early protein-losing kidney disease.
Agree on a monitoring schedule with your vet based on the dog's results. A dog with normal findings needs a different plan from one with persistent proteinuria, low blood albumin or impaired kidney function.
What treatment may involve
Clinical Lyme arthritis is commonly treated with a veterinarian-prescribed course of doxycycline lasting about four weeks. Give the exact formulation and instructions supplied. If treatment was interrupted, contact the prescriber; do not restart, extend or double doses yourself.
Cornell distinguishes symptomatic dogs needing treatment from asymptomatic dogs generally managed with monitoring. Routine antibiotics for every healthy positive dog are not a universal recommendation, and individual decisions may differ.
Improvement in joint signs can be encouraging, but persistent pain or a later recurrence deserves reassessment. It should not automatically be labelled a Lyme flare. Your vet may consider another infection, orthopaedic disease or immune-mediated inflammation.
Kidney involvement requires a more detailed plan, potentially including hospital care, blood-pressure and protein-loss management, nutritional support and specialist input. The outlook can be guarded, and an uncomplicated arthritis prognosis should not be applied to this group.
Make the first days predictable
- Book an early veterinary handover. Arrange it before adoption where possible, especially if medication is ongoing or monitoring is due.
- Keep a simple daily record. Note appetite, energy, comfort on walks, drinking, urination and vomiting.
- Match activity to comfort. Use short, calm walks initially and avoid forcing a sore dog to exercise. Increase activity according to recovery and veterinary advice.
- Keep nutrition consistent. A positive test alone does not require a kidney diet or joint supplements. Choose changes for a defined medical reason.
- Build rest and enrichment into settling in. Quiet sniffing activities, reward-based training and a comfortable resting area support a new dog's adjustment.
When to call urgently
Seek same-day advice for new lameness, fever, reduced appetite, vomiting, increased thirst or urination, weight loss or swelling of the limbs or abdomen.
Collapse, severe weakness, breathing difficulty, repeated vomiting with inability to retain water, or very little urine requires urgent emergency assessment. These findings are not specific to Lyme disease, and waiting for a routine follow-up could be unsafe.
Prevent another tick exposure
Use a vet-selected tick preventive according to its exact label. Products have different dosing intervals, so “monthly” is not a universal rule. Check the coat after outdoor activity and remove attached ticks promptly with an appropriate tool.
Discuss Lyme vaccination according to geographic exposure, travel, previous vaccination and the dog's current health. Vaccination does not treat existing illness or replace tick control. Avoid assuming that prior infection provides reliable protection from reinfection.
Lyme disease is not ordinarily passed directly from a dog to a person through cuddling or shared living space. Ticks are the concern: dogs can bring them indoors, so protect other pets and follow appropriate tick precautions for people too.
Common mistakes
- Declining adoption solely because of an antibody result without reviewing the medical context.
- Assuming every positive dog needs antibiotics or lifelong medication.
- Skipping urine assessment because the dog looks healthy.
- Promising a normal lifespan regardless of kidney findings.
- Changing prescribed treatment without contacting the veterinary team.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Lyme-positive dog live normally?
Many do, especially those without clinical illness or kidney abnormalities. The individual medical findings matter more than the label.
Will the blood test become negative after treatment?
Not necessarily. Antibodies can remain detectable, and interpretation depends on the test used and the clinical situation.
Can my other dog catch Lyme from the new dog?
Ordinary direct contact is not the usual transmission route. Both dogs can be exposed to infected ticks and need appropriate prevention.
Should I budget for long-term care?
Yes, ask for a realistic estimate of monitoring and any existing treatment. Kidney involvement can substantially change the expected level of care.
An informed adoption decision starts with records, current health and a clear handover. Many Lyme-positive dogs need a manageable monitoring plan rather than a pessimistic label.
ASK A VET™ can help you organise pre-adoption questions and understand the care topics to discuss with your new dog's vet.
