Moxie's Story - Lyme Nephritis

Moxie, a healthy, muscular, vibrant five-year-old corgi/jack russell mix was diagnosed with lyme nephritis at the end of July 2009. The disease has turned her into an old dog almost overnight, and the prognosis is very poor. At the time I'm posting this video, a dog that usually weighs right around 20 pounds now weighs 28 pounds. That's a lot of fluid for a small dog to carry! Hopefully doubling her Enalapril and adding Spironalactone will help with that.

Moxie was positive for lyme disease on the SNAP test for three years. Because she was asymptomatic, we did not treat her. I don't blame my vet at all; even now it seems like the "experts" can't agree on whether to treat or not treat a positive dog if they're asymptomatic; whether to give the lyme vaccine or not; if you do treat, for how long and at what dosage?

In doing research, I've learned that even in asymptomatic lyme positive dogs, upon necropsy, damage from lyme disease has been found.

From now on, if I have a dog who tests positive on a SNAP test, I will follow it up with a lyme quantitative C6 test. They suggest treatment at anything over 30; Moxie's was 406!!! If the number is lower than 30 on the first C6 test, I will follow it up with another C6 test later. The price of extra bloodwork would have been well worth it in Moxie's case.

I don't know how long Moxie has, but as long as she's eating, playing with her toys and seems happy and comfortable (even on her most bloated days, there doesn't seem to be any pain), I'll do my best to keep her here. I'm slowly facing the reality that Moxie may not be here at the end of this year, and it's even less likely she'll be here for her sixth birthday, which I estimate to be in April 2010 based on how old she appeared to be when she came into rescue. I adopted her when she was probably a little over a year and a half old.

I hope others can learn from Moxie's story. Please do not assume that everything is okay if your lyme positive dog is asymptomatic. Please do some follow-up by getting a C6 test done and/or immediately treating. I don't know 100% if doing that three years ago would have saved Moxie from having to go through this, but I know if any more of my dogs come up lyme positive, I'll do a lot more than just watch closely for symptoms.

If Moxie's story is able to save even one dog, it will make this "easier" to bear.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• corgi
• jack russell
• lyme nephritis
• dog
• lyme disease
• glomerulonephritis
• proteinuria
• renal failure

[GoIndyGal]

I realized that I hadn't seen part 2, and had to go looking for it. Here is the link in case others are also looking for it: watch?v=ZS88eC0eWnE

Thinking of you dear Moxie.

[Dusty710]

@GoIndyGal Thank you! I didn't even think of adding the link to Part 2 here. Sadly, Moxie passed away on 1/2/2010, just five months after diagnosis. She was really doing well there for awhile, as shown in most of Part 2, but in mid-December her numbers started to show we were really fighting a losing battle. :-( I still need to pull Part 3 together and will be sure to post here and on Part 2 when I have. I still miss my girl very, very much and hope her story will save others ...

[GoIndyGal]

More info on lyme and tick diseases here, be sure to remove the spaces in the link:

germanshepherdhome . net / forum / ubbthreads . php / topics / 1594 / Ticks_and_Tick_Diseases.html

[Dusty710]

@GoIndyGal Thank you for posting this link!

[GoIndyGal]

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear about Moxie. I do think you let us know on the list? Terrible thing Lyme Nephritis, and all those stupid tick disease ((hug))

[Dusty710]

@Dusty710 He, like Moxie, had been asymptomatic. I ran a C6 on him and found he was at 136. I also did a urinalysis, which was good. He was treated with doxcycline, and six months later I re-ran the C6. His number was half, 68. They generally say if your number is cut in half, treatment was successful, but because his was right on the line, I treated again. He'll go for another C6 in a couple months to see where we are. Hopefully he'll be down even further. Good luck w/your dog!!!

[Dusty710]

@lamofbodom Sorry to hear about your dog's positive result. :-( Remember, though, MOST dogs who have lyme disease do NOT have it go into their kidneys. The best thing to do if your dog has tested positive is to follow up with a C6 test and treat if that test shows the numbers warrant it, even if your dog isn't showing symptoms.

A friend of mine passed away, and I kept one of her dogs. When I took him to the vet, I found he'd been positive for lyme for two years and not been treated!

[Dusty710]

@misjesti How have things been going with Lucy? I'm sorry I was so late in replying to your post. I feel for you. :-(

[lamofbodom]

im sick to my somach. my dog just tested "low positive" im freakin out

[misjesti]

Moxie is a beautiful girl! Wish us luck, we are not feeling great. Lucy us a 2yo per., and has not been herself. She sees a Dr tom. I'm sad just to think of others with this disease. Pls keep ur fingers crossed.