Esmeralda has lyme and she is in heat hoping to be breed in 10 days

[kernow2009]

Good afternoon all. Esmeralda is a Golden Retriever female almost 3 and 78 lbs. She is fed a raw diet and no vaccinations except what the breeder gave as a first round when she was a puppy. She went into heat May 25 and the same day got Lyme. She is/was very lethargic and has/had problems getting up. Warm nose and doesn't sleep very well. We didn't know what was wrong with her and went to our local vet who told us that she had lyme. We were doxy and so far have taken 4 pills and stopped. I was afraid that the doxy would affect her breeding. I would prefer to take remedies from @Dr Jeff which is why I am posting this.

Any suggestions?

@Dr Jeff
@Dr Christina

 

[Dr. Christina]

Because each animal has a unique genome and exposome, there is not "a homeopathic medicine" I would suggest.

Because you do want to breed her, the very best would be to make an appointment with Dr. Jeff or one of our other homeopathic veterinarians who can help you by phone.

The medicine would be selected by the specific symptoms Esmerelda was/is showing and most important will be her response to each one given.

Definitely boost her immune system with vit C, great food, massage, acupressure, Reiki, etc. You may want to watch the lyme course as well, and the several Empower Hours we have done on lyme.

Probably it will be best to wait until her next heat to be sure all this is deeply resolved before breeding. @Dr. Sara may have more insight on when it would be safe to breed her.

Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Pam-

I'm sorry to hear about Esmeralda and about the really bad timing of her Lyme symptoms.

Did the vet run a C6 or Multiplex?

You're very wise to worry about the microbiome disruption and potential effects on breeding from the anti-biotic.

In addition to what Dr. Christina mentioned, you can start right away with focusing on petting/massage, feeding favorite treats, playing games etc. Anything to help engage her and optimize her healing.

It's also a good idea to start tracking her temperature at least 2x/day.

Do you know what the her temp. was when you brought her to the vet?

What's been going on for the past 6 days since this started?

Perhaps schedule time for us to talk tomorrow or Wednesday if you haven't already done so.

 

[ChristineL]

@Dr. Jeff - what range of temp is considered normal for dogs?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

At rest, it's usually 99.5-101.5.

102-103 is considered, conventionally, to be within the "normal" range.

But holistic vets and homeopaths have found that this higher temp range is actually an indication of internal inflammation and early warning sign of internal imbalance.

Have you been monitoring Hope's temp?

 

[ChristineL]

I’ve never taken Hope’s temperature at home. Perhaps I should. There were times during her estrus, her body was a bit warm to the touch. What’s the best way to take dog’s temp at home?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

It's a good idea to get her used to it.

Feeling her body is not that reliable.

Here's the method (you'd do the same thing at home):

 

[Dr. Sara]

Please wait until Esmeralda has had no signs of Lyme for several weeks and appears to be in robust health before breeding her. She will probably stay positive for Lyme, and as long as she is symptom free, that is no cause for concern. All four of my litters were from Lyme positive bitches, and the pregnancies were uneventful and the pups healthy.
Dr. Sara

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Great direct advice Dr. Sara (much better than "it depends")!!

Pam and I discussed that ideally, Esmeralda would be in a more stable internal balance before breeding her.

Even if she seems 100% fine by next week when she is due to be bred, the immune suppression from breeding, pregnancy, whelping and nursing + Lyme exposure (as of our chat on Wed, she was waiting to get the C6 result back) may trigger a Lyme relapse.