Lyme is a disease, which can be transmitted to humans and animals by ticks. If the causative has reached to the organism with the saliva of the tick, then it will probably stay there for a long time. The host´s (dog) sickening is connected with inflammatory response in the joint cartilage. Despite the long treatment the causatives stay in the organism. Why one animal is getting ill and another isn´t, isn´t thoroughly clear.
An animal will get ill 2-5 months after the tick bite. When a dog is ill, he´s experiencing fever, loss of appetite, inactivity, limping feet. Kidney failure has been observed, especially with Labradors and Bernese Mountain Dogs.
It´s hard to exactly diagnose the illness since the blood test of the animals that are carrying the desease, but are clinically healthy, gives a positive answer. Whether the specific illness is caused by lyme, will be unclear. Also, when the test gives a negative answer, it could still be possible, that the causative isi n the organism.
The disease can be prevented with vaccination, which should be done once in a year (for grown-up dogs).