Oue local dog newspaper, the Downeast Dog News has an excellent article this month regarding Lyme Disaease and information regarding the test. I had thought that if a dog had the vaccine then they would test positive however that is not always the case. The article states:
Is there a test for Lyme Disease?
IDEXX LAboratories in Westbrook manufactures two test kits that veterinarians ust to determine Lyme Disaese infection in dogs. The SNAP 3x kits tests for Lyme, heartworm and canine ehrlichiosis. The newer SNAP 4Dx test kit adds a test for granulocytic anaplasmosis. In his publication "Tick Biology: New Diagnostic Methods. Canine Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis for the Small Animal Practictioner" Steven Levy, DVM, a disease expert and veterinarian, expalins the tests, "SNAP 3Ds and 4Ds are unique in that they offer detection of an antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi that is produced in response only to an active infection. The test, is specific for infection with Borrelia burgdoeferi, does not cross react with vaccine induced antibodies, and offers the canine practictioner the ability to immediately determine if a dog has has antibody induced by infection with the organism without the expense or inherrent difficulty intepreting Western blots?
A positive test does not mean that the dog has Lyme Disaese or will get it in the future.
If my dog received a Lyme vaccination, can the IDEXX SNAP test distinguish between infection by the actual bacteria and the vaccine?
Testing technology can distinquish bewteen a natural Lyme bacteria infection and the Lyme vaccine. According to the IDEXX website "The SNAP 4Dx test indentifies infection. The test's C6 peptide is highly soecific for Borrelia burgdorferi and is only present in the cafe of an active infection. In addition, antibodies from currently available Lyme vaccinces have been shown not to cross recat with SNAP Lyme antibody detection so you can identify infection in vaccinated dogs."
Research show that it takes four to six weeks for an immune response to develop to Lyme bacteria, specifically, the C6 antibody that the SNAP test measures.
