Survey Research Concerning the Main Items of Clinical Suspicion in Dog Lyme Borreliosis and its Options of Confirmation

Abstract

Dog Lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne disease caused by spirochete species of the Borrelia burgdorferi group, commonly expressed by lameness, swollen joints, and fever. The real image of the disease within the group of small animal practitioners is not known in Romania. A wright starting point is to develop a survey research, using telephone interview or internet survey. To describe the attitudes and opinions of the veterinary medicine practitioners concerning the main clinical signs associated with Lyme borreliosis and diagnostic tools used if the disease is suspected in dogs, 20 veterinary clinics from Romania where included in a survey research by telephone interview. The interview consists in ten simple questions; eight questions were focused on clinical features and two questions on confirmatory procedure of diagnostic. Clinical syndromes commonly associated with canine Lyme disease by veterinary practitioners in small animals were neuronal disorders (80%), fever (75%), polyarthritis (70%) and glomerulopathy (65%). Only 50% veterinary clinics are able to perform serological test for Lyme disease in dogs and 70% of clinics collaborate with specialized laboratory of diagnostic. Serological testing was made for dogs with history of tick attack in 15% cases, for dogs with febrile syndrome in 20%, and lameness in 70%. The clinical signs of Lyme disease in dogs still rise questions in order to be suspected by the Romanian veterinarians. However, several veterinary clinics are still reluctant to hold screening tests in own clinics, but in 70% require confirmatory diagnostic in specialized laboratories.