Treating Lyme Disease -
The Natural Way

Lyme disease should not be feared but we should educate ourselves with all the facts. Treating an active case of Lyme with antibiotics is not the only choice. It is also misleading to think the only way to guard against Lyme is with a vaccination and tick products that contain toxic chemicals. One can certainly chose these routes, but the dog will eventually pay the price. Making educated and informed choices is the best way to approach any health issue.

I have great respect for Dr. Richard Pitcairn, who has a Ph.D. in immunology, virology and biochemistry. In his book, Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, he stated that in 1975, in the United States, Lyme disease got its name when it was discovered to cause arthritis in children in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Research revealed that the condition was caused by a spirochete (a microbe related to syphilis, though not spread by sexual contact) and transmitted by tick bites. However, interesting to know that this disease was first recognized in people in Europe in the early 1900s. There has been a lot of whoopla and fear promoted over Lyme, which is unfortunate.

A typical symptom of an active case of Lyme is lameness. In some cases the symptoms are subtle and in others, there are no visible symptoms. Lyme can cause kidney failure and even death in rare instances. However, I would be quick to mention that these cases are extreme and those dogs are 1) probably unhealthy to begin with weakened immune systems, unable to combat the organism and/or 2) their symptoms either went ignored or unnoticed until their state of health deteriorated to a more serious level. We should not be fearful of Lyme to the point where we pour drugs and chemicals into our animals thinking we are keeping them free from Lyme when in fact these measures can cause other health issues.

Dr. Don Hamilton, the author of Homeopathic Care for Dogs and Cats, states that Lyme disease is one of the immunodeficiency diseases in dogs. He also mentioned the vaccine provides poor protection and many side effects, including symptoms that are indistinguishable from the disease itself. I believe that dogs that are "truly" healthy with a strong immune system can co-exist with the spirochete and not develop an active infection. The problem is, there are not many "truly" healthy dogs.

Symptoms for dogs are different than in people. Guardians who are observant of their dogs tend to notice the slightest signal that alerts them their companion is "off." With Lyme, one of the classic symptoms is lameness that can start with one leg and then go to another. Some dogs refuse to even move. Appetites can be off and there is a possibility of a temperature. Sometimes these signs come on abruptly, and other times the signs are so slight they are missed, until the symptoms progress.

The Vaccine
It was stated in a previous article that the vaccine by itself is 98% effective at preventing Lyme and modern tick preventatives are about 95% effective. Also stated was the suggestion that since neither method of prevention is 100% effective, the combination of vaccination and year-round tick prevention appears to be the best way to prevent this disease. This is not true nor a disclosure of all the facts. In fact, I would go so far as to say that combination promotes more harm to the dog.

The Lyme vaccine is fairly new to the market, and the first one became available around 1990. The manufacturer of the vaccine for Lyme disease will not divulge how it is made. So is it effective? We don’t know. Dr. Pitcairn indicted that the only way to test the vaccine is to first suppress each dog’s immune system with cortisone. Considering how unnatural this is it is difficult to say anything about the significance of the disease or the vaccine prepared against it. Some vets have indicated their belief that there isn’t so much a Lyme disease of dogs as that a small percentage of dogs have an excessive reaction more like an allergy. That tells me it goes back to the overall health of each animal and its immune system.

"The side effects (of vaccination) are so severe", says Dr. Beverly Cappel, a veterinarian practicing in New York, "that I would much rather treat the disease itself." Risks of vaccination far outweigh any benefits. Dr. Chappel saw seizures, kidney failure, paralysis, stiff neck and autoimmune bleeding disorders in dogs that were vaccinated. Some dogs died and some were permanently damaged. The vaccine can induce the disease, causing clinical signs that are indistinguishable from the natural infection. A study of 528 cases submitted for testing, 271 dogs had been vaccinated. Of these, 247 were symptomatic and 53% (131) had antibodies that could be traced back to the vaccine only. The vaccine caused the disease. The vaccine has been known to produce the disease in dogs residing in areas where the ticks are absent. Dogs that develop the vaccine-induced disease do not generally respond to antibiotic therapy. Along with inducing the disease, Lyme vaccine can also cause autoimmune arthritis, seizures, and increases susceptibility to the natural disease. Don’t forget, vaccines also contain chemicals and carcinogens and no vaccine guarantees immunity to anything.

What about the test for Lyme?
Most veterinarians have this on their "to do" check list for all dogs, even those not exhibiting any symptoms. There is no relationship between a positive blood test and the presence of symptoms. More than 50% of normal, healthy dogs test positive for the organism in their blood, yet have not had any illness, which means that dogs are frequently exposed to the Lyme disease organism but rarely get sick from it. In my opinion, testing for Lyme is a waste of money.

Catherine Diodati, Vaccine Guide for Dogs and Cats, writes that Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose using current serological tests because there are an inordinate number of false-positive and false-negative results. Antibodies may persist for months to years, long after the clinical disease resolves, so the presence of antibodies is of questionable diagnostic value. In epidemic areas, approximately 80% of dogs will be seropositive, showing an antibody response to infection with B. burgdorferi, but only about 5% will develop clinical signs. Those signs include lethargy, anorexia, swollen lymph nodes, fever, depression, muscle pain and abnormalities of the joint and musculoskeletal systems.

The Natural Treatment
Certainly not all cases of Lyme need to be treated with antibiotics. It should be noted that treating with antibiotics for long periods of time is dangerous as antibiotics kill off beneficial bacteria as well which can lead to other problems. Max Appel, DVM, PhD, Professor Emeritus at the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine and one of the nations’ leading authorities on canine Lyme disease stated, "antibiotics cannot eliminate the spirochetes entirely. They hide and, over time, can build up again and cause a relapse. One way to trigger a relapse is with corticosteroids. These drugs are immune system suppressants. Steroid drugs are absolutely not a good idea for any dog that has been treated for Lyme disease." Other stressors can be injuries, other immune system stresses, illnesses and emotional stress.

The holistic way to treat Lyme has been successful when no antibiotics are used. I know because I had a dog treated with homeopathic remedies. There is a homeopathic remedy to try, although each animal is an individual and may require a specific remedy. I recommend you consult with a competent holistic/homeopath veterinarian if you choose to treat more naturally. However, you can try Ledum palustre (Borion) in 1M potency. Give one pellet three times daily for three days. Some people will also give one pellet of a 30C Ledum after removing a tick. When you pull a tick off, dab the area with 3% hydrogen peroxide. The oxygen it contains destroys the Lyme disease bacteria.

The Natural Prevention
My program for prevention includes keeping my dogs as healthy as they can be by feeding a raw food diet, supporting natural immunity and avoiding toxic chemicals altogether. Never to be used on my Westies are insecticides like Frontline® which includes fipronil, a neurotoxin and suspected human carcinogen. Fipronil can cause liver toxicity, thyroid lesions (cancer), damage to the kidneys, increased miscarriages, in-coordination, etc. Chemicals, as I keep preaching, are not your only option! During the tick season, giving green hulled black walnut tincture in the food every other day, along with an 1/8 tsp. of fresh crushed garlic on alternating days, will help discourage biting insects, including mosquitoes. Truly healthy dogs will not be the ones getting sick with Lyme.

In my friend, C.J. Puotinen’s book, The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, she recommended repellents that contain essential oils such as rose geranium, opopanax or palmarosa oil (www.avenaherbs.com or www.youngessentials.com) will help repel ticks. You can make your own by mixing together 20 drops each of the above oils and then adding them to 1-cup water, aloe vera gel or a combination of water and aloe vera gel. Spritz on your companion prior to walks but also check for ticks upon your return. Adding other oils will help repel mosquitoes (citronella), flies and fleas (black walnut). All-purpose repellents are clove, lavender and rosemary. If you add in any of the other oils to your repellent, only add in 3 drops each.

Lastly, you may not remember but in 2002, Lymerix, a Lyme vaccine for humans, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, was taken off the market. Patients reported arthritis, muscle pain and other troubling symptoms after vaccination. After raking in $40 million in sales its first year, the company projected fewer people would seek vaccination in the second year and that was their reason for taking it off the market. I wonder if the side effects discouraged people from getting this vaccine instead and that was the reason for fewer people wanted the vaccination. Lawsuits are pending.

Before you decide to put any vaccine or chemical into the body of your companion, be sure you have both sides of the issue and make informed choices. There are always choices.