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Should I do another round of antibiotics for Lyme's?
I have an 11 year old female German Shepherd who was diagnosed with Lyme's disease in Sept of 2006. She was staying at my parents house in Pennsylvania and my sister took her to the vet because she acted so lame and actually fell down the stairs. She was treated with a month of doxycycline and her titer decreased from 175 to 133. She had another round about 6 months after that and it decreased to 100.
Over the last year she has had some muscle atrophy in the hind legs and more recently, in June of this year, she exhibited an ataxic gait pattern, was crossing her hind legs and actually tripping herself. So, took her into the vet, he took some xrays, diagnosed her with lumbosacral spondylosis and referred us to a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon reviewed her records, considered her history, examined her and drew some blood. He checked the Lyme titer again and it was still at 100. SO, he gives me information on Degenerative Myelopathy and wants to do a myelogram. I have been following Dr. Clemmon's protocol (U of Florida) for treatment of DM for the last month and she seems to be responding well.
My question is: would it hurt to try another round of antibiotics? She has a known history of Lyme's disease and in chronic cases, it can affect the neurological system? The neurosurgeon did say that, based on his examination, it is a lower motor neuron issue somewhere between T2 and L2.
Also, since DM is the equivalent to MS in humans, why is it not treated with the same medications?
Thank you for your time and I look foward to your response.
Over the last year she has had some muscle atrophy in the hind legs and more recently, in June of this year, she exhibited an ataxic gait pattern, was crossing her hind legs and actually tripping herself. So, took her into the vet, he took some xrays, diagnosed her with lumbosacral spondylosis and referred us to a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon reviewed her records, considered her history, examined her and drew some blood. He checked the Lyme titer again and it was still at 100. SO, he gives me information on Degenerative Myelopathy and wants to do a myelogram. I have been following Dr. Clemmon's protocol (U of Florida) for treatment of DM for the last month and she seems to be responding well.
My question is: would it hurt to try another round of antibiotics? She has a known history of Lyme's disease and in chronic cases, it can affect the neurological system? The neurosurgeon did say that, based on his examination, it is a lower motor neuron issue somewhere between T2 and L2.
Also, since DM is the equivalent to MS in humans, why is it not treated with the same medications?
Thank you for your time and I look foward to your response.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Vitamin B-12 and the syringes are available by prescription. Request a prescription from your vet and allow your vet to give the first shot to show you how to give the injections. Please pay for the office visit if necessary, it is worth it to learn how to give the injections. They are very easy to give and should only be minimally painful. Probiotics are available over the counter at drug or health food stores or at your vets office. I recommend Culturelle brand, I-Flora brand or Rx-Biotic. But there are many more good products out there.
Thank you so much for your quick response. I will certainly have the blood test performed and see if I can get my vet to prescribe another round of antibiotics.
She is on Innova Senior dog food, which has probiotics in it. Should I add more than what is already in the dog food? I mix it with the only commercial dog food that Dr. C recommends. I tried the recommended homemade diet with her for over a month but she has always been picky and she turned her nose up at it.
She gets accupuncture treatments every other week and sees the chiropractor every other week. Her accupuncturist is going to recommend some herbs, but she is on Dr. C's protocol, which includes many vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements. She also gets to exercise in an 8 foot round livestock watering tub...about 2.5 feet deep. She plays with my four year old for about an hour every other day.
Where can I get injectable vit b12? And any ideas where I can get probiotics?
I appreciate your time, and I agree Dr. C is brilliant. I am so thrilled to hear that he has received additional funding from the German Shep. Assoc. to continue his research on this devastating disease.
She is on Innova Senior dog food, which has probiotics in it. Should I add more than what is already in the dog food? I mix it with the only commercial dog food that Dr. C recommends. I tried the recommended homemade diet with her for over a month but she has always been picky and she turned her nose up at it.
She gets accupuncture treatments every other week and sees the chiropractor every other week. Her accupuncturist is going to recommend some herbs, but she is on Dr. C's protocol, which includes many vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements. She also gets to exercise in an 8 foot round livestock watering tub...about 2.5 feet deep. She plays with my four year old for about an hour every other day.
Where can I get injectable vit b12? And any ideas where I can get probiotics?
I appreciate your time, and I agree Dr. C is brilliant. I am so thrilled to hear that he has received additional funding from the German Shep. Assoc. to continue his research on this devastating disease.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I don't think that giving another course of doxycycline would hurt, but if your dog truly has degenerative myelopathy it won't help very much either, if your dog doesn't have DM it may help.
If you are familiar with MS in humans you know that the best of medications for MS don't eliminate the disease.
Dr. Roger Clemmons is and was one of my professors. He is a brilliant veterinarian and professor, and has developed a DNA blood test for degenerative myelopathy. Please ask your veterinarian if your dog can have the blood test to find out if she definitively has DM. If your vet has trouble finding info about the test please post again and I will post the information. The degenerative myelopathy protocol is helpful for all dog's with neurological/muscular/skeletal disease of any cause; and since your dog has spondylosis, we know that some of her spinal nerves are already compromised.
In the meantime try another course of Doxycycline, and continue Dr.Clemmons protocol.
Other things that may help:
1. Acupuncture, with or without Chinese herbs.
2. Daily Vitamin B-12 injections.
3. Probiotics.
If you are familiar with MS in humans you know that the best of medications for MS don't eliminate the disease.
Dr. Roger Clemmons is and was one of my professors. He is a brilliant veterinarian and professor, and has developed a DNA blood test for degenerative myelopathy. Please ask your veterinarian if your dog can have the blood test to find out if she definitively has DM. If your vet has trouble finding info about the test please post again and I will post the information. The degenerative myelopathy protocol is helpful for all dog's with neurological/muscular/skeletal disease of any cause; and since your dog has spondylosis, we know that some of her spinal nerves are already compromised.
In the meantime try another course of Doxycycline, and continue Dr.Clemmons protocol.
Other things that may help:
1. Acupuncture, with or without Chinese herbs.
2. Daily Vitamin B-12 injections.
3. Probiotics.
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