In a previous post I listed the main causes of arthritis in dogs. (See post from November 2, 2009 on this blog).  Aside from those, there are other reasons for arthritis, deserving of their own post.  These include immune mediated arthritis (similar to the human version called Rheumatoid Arthritis) and infectious reasons for arthritis.  For example, in different parts of the country, such as the Eastern Seaboard, if you were to take your dog to the vet for limping, your veterinarian may check for infectious diseases such as Lyme and Anaplasmosis.  Lyme Disease (and not Lime Disease) is a tick borne disease that can give your dog swollen joints, shifting leg lameness and can cause them to feel pretty down and out.

Most common signs of Lyme disease:

• Recurrent arthritis/lameness that lasts 3–4 days, sometimes accompanied by loss of appetite and depression
• Reluctance to move or a stiff, painful gait
• Swollen joints that are warm to the touch
• Pain in the legs or throughout the body
• Fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes

If you are interested in finding out if your area is at risk for Lyme Disease go to this website and then choose your state- you can see down to the county level the incidence of positive cases of Lyme and other parasite borne diseases.  http://www.dogsandticks.com/US-map-lyme-disease-dogs/index.html

Tick Identification