are weak positives for lyme treated?

[fostermom]

I just took my foster down for his neuter yesterday. The rescue tests for heartworm, lyme, erlichiosis, and he tested a weak positive for lyme disease. The vet who did the neuter doesn't recommend treating the dog for lyme...said he is not showing any symptoms and that dogs don't usually have the problems that people have. He doesn't recommend treating unless the dog starts limping (told me I'd be wasting my money to treat it otherwise).

My vet (many, many, many) years ago, when lyme disease in dogs just started to be recognized, told me the same thing...that it doesn't usually cause problems in dogs. But I thought since then the thinking has changed....I KNOW a dog with untreated lyme that almost died and is severely crippled from it. I've heard of aggression in dogs linked to lyme disease.

I'm guessing the rescue will ok treatment, but who's right here???

[targonrotts]

here we don't see much lyme's unless it is a dog that came from up north. we do see alot of ehrlichia and anaplasma(both tick diseases) but we do put them on doxycycline for about 3-4 weeks and then we recheck titer/antibody levels.

[frontierrots]

due to health issues down the road we have seen caused by untreated Lyme disease we treat ALL positives here for at least 4 weeks if not 6 and then send blood to Cornell for a Lyme titer in 6 months to check levels