Something new about canine Lyme disease

There is a new test for Lyme disease in dogs, known as the Canine SNAP 3Dx or the C6 SNAP test, which tests for C6 antibodies to Lyme disease, and also tests for heartworm disease and ehrlichia canis, another tick borne disease. It is done in-office and is extremely accurate in detecting Lyme in dogs. That is because the C6 antibodies are only present due to actual infection, not as a reaction to the vaccine - very helpful for dogs who have been vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.



If you get a positive on the C6 SNAP test, a follow-up test should be done, called the Lyme Quantitative C6 Antibody Test. This test will establish the baseline values you'll want to see affected by treatment, making it a useful tool for therapy and not just diagnosis. After treatment, you would want to see a 50 percent or better decrease in antibody levels on the C6 quantitative assay, as well as a cessation of any symptom.



These tests are only available through IDEXX laboratories.