Doxycycline

[Guest bluefawn]

I discovered a tick on Sassy's belly on 11/21. Took her to my vet to be checked, since it was a deer tick and the area around the bite had the typical "bullseye". Vet started her on 50mg Doxycycline every 12 hours. My question is: I read online (and my vet confirmed) that this antibiotic will stain the dog's teeth. I don't see any staining yet, but wondering if it will happen later on, even after she finished the Rx. Anyone had experience with this?

[Guest borzoix4]

I discovered a tick on Sassy's belly on 11/21. Took her to my vet to be checked, since it was a deer tick and the area around the bite had the typical "bullseye". Vet started her on 50mg Doxycycline every 12 hours. My question is: I read online (and my vet confirmed) that this antibiotic will stain the dog's teeth. I don't see any staining yet, but wondering if it will happen later on, even after she finished the Rx. Anyone had experience with this?

Zubin has had lyme twice. One time as bit by a tick, and second time about 10 months later on a relapse. A relapse is not caused by a tick but by rising levels of the anogen of the lyme. He was on this medication first time for 3 weeks, and on the relapse he was on it for 4 weeks- twice a day. ( That whole situation is another story).

Now Zubin, at 92 pounds, was taking 2 100mg every 12 hours, so I would raise an eyebrow at why only 50 mg when he was taking a total of 200mg.

Anyway- no it did not stain the teeth. I also have some other teeth care tips I have learned over the years that I could share if you wish to actually whiten the teeth.

[Guest bluefawn]

I discovered a tick on Sassy's belly on 11/21. Took her to my vet to be checked, since it was a deer tick and the area around the bite had the typical "bullseye". Vet started her on 50mg Doxycycline every 12 hours. My question is: I read online (and my vet confirmed) that this antibiotic will stain the dog's teeth. I don't see any staining yet, but wondering if it will happen later on, even after she finished the Rx. Anyone had experience with this?

Zubin has had lyme twice. One time as bit by a tick, and second time about 10 months later on a relapse. A relapse is not caused by a tick but by rising levels of the anogen of the lyme. He was on this medication first time for 3 weeks, and on the relapse he was on it for 4 weeks- twice a day. ( That whole situation is another story).

Now Zubin, at 92 pounds, was taking 2 100mg every 12 hours, so I would raise an eyebrow at why only 50 mg when he was taking a total of 200mg.

Anyway- no it did not stain the teeth. I also have some other teeth care tips I have learned over the years that I could share if you wish to actually whiten the teeth.

 

Thanks! Yes, would love the teeth care tips. Sassy is only 6 months old and weighs 24.6 pounds - that is why she's on the small dosage. Penny, who is almost 13 and weighs 48 pounds, has very stained teeth because she also took Dox and other meds when she was a puppy, due to the serious injuries she had when I got her at 10 weeks of age. Penny just had another dental last month, which cleans the teeth but will not remove the stains. I do brush all of their teeth once a week. BTW - not confirmed whether she has lyme or not - vet will do a tick panel soon (Apparently it's too soon for anything to show up at this point).

[TheFullHouse]

If a brood is given doxy while pregnant or new born pups are given antibiotics it can stain their teeth. My 4 boys all have grayish teeth because their mom was given antibiotics. If I'm not mistaken, it's usually while their developing that the problem with the stained teeth comes into play.

[Guest borzoix4]

Yes as well as also medications given if injured when young.

As far as teeth cleaning, I would guess that would be a seperate thread, but really the Doxi at the age if your girl, should have no effect on staining the teeth.

[Guest zombrie]

We live in an awful hot spot for ticks. MY GSD has gotten Lyme 4 times, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichia - all treated with Doxy and her teeth are absolutely fine. We have been super careful with my golden Caesar and he got Lyme last year and his teeth are pearly white. We have been even MORE careful with Mira and she just got lyme and is being treated for it as we speak, but as of right now there are no changes with the coloring of her teeth.

Tick preventatives no longer work

 

Just in case you don't know, now that Sassy has lyme, she will always test positive for it, and might occasionally flare up in the weakest spot because lyme attacks the weakest part of your body (ex. Caesar's lyme had settled in his front right leg and every now and then limps on it/swells)

Edited December 4, 2010 by zombrie

[celbee]

Members of the tetracycline "family" (including doxycycline) chelate (or bind) iron, calcium, magnesium, etc. (divalent cations, for the science majors). If these drugs are taken while bones or teeth are developing, they will bind to the calcium. This results in the discoloration of the teeth. It does not affect the function of the teeth, but it is unsightly-- it looks like a greyish line. For this reason, you won't see tetracyclines used in pregnant women or children under the age of 8 (unless there is absolutely no other option). One paper I read said that 1/3 of kids who took tetracyclines had the discoloration... so, possible that your pup would be one of the 2/3s!!

 

So, for a 6 month old dog.... I do not know enough about canine development to know when their teeth are developing....

It's not anything you can alter by changing your brushing regimen and fix.... the grey discoloration is IN the enamel. Google tetracycline teeth stains... and you can see what they look like in humans. For humans, they end up doing some sort of cap or veneer-- the whitening products don't do much.

 

I would not worry about it happening with an adult dog-- but yours is a mere pup.

 

I don't know where 6 months puts development of dog teeth. Maybe Dr. Bill or another vet can chime in on that part.

 

I do know that if I had a choice of a grey with stained teeth or a dog with effects of an untreated tick bourne disease, I would be giving doxycycline as you are doing.... Ciprofloxacin and drugs in that family can be used for TBDs in humans, but there are reports of tooth discoloration with them (no pictures, and not as much info). So, hope that your pup is one of the 2/3s...

 

I hope that helps. I lecture on the drug class tetracyclines-- and every few years, I re-visit the tetracycline/ tooth discoloration issue to see if anything has changed... just updated that section this summer, so still lodged in my brain...

 

Carol

[Guest bluefawn]

Thank you all - much appreciated! Of course, her health comes before any concern about the color of her teeth, but just wanted some feedback from those who have more info on this. I read online that the bullseye was an indicator that the tick had injected the Borrelia organism. So I feel relatively sure she had Lyme disease, even though my vet didn't specifically say that she does. So does the Doxy just help prevent symptoms? She has not exhibited any symptoms at all, even before starting it.

[Guest borzoix4]

Thank you Carol! After 6 months, the only teeth that would be coming in should be the back molars as the others are set, unless they have already erupted.

[Batmom]

I read online that the bullseye was an indicator that the tick had injected the Borrelia organism.

 

Not a disease indicator. All kinds of insect bites can cause a bullseye rash. You wouldn't know whether your dog had Lyme unless you tested for it.

 

I'm assuming your vet gave you the doxy prophylactically.

[Guest borzoix4]

I read online that the bullseye was an indicator that the tick had injected the Borrelia organism.

 

Not a disease indicator. All kinds of insect bites can cause a bullseye rash. You wouldn't know whether your dog had Lyme unless you tested for it.

 

I'm assuming your vet gave you the doxy prophylactically.

Thats what I am thinking also.

[Guest bluefawn]

I read online that the bullseye was an indicator that the tick had injected the Borrelia organism.

 

Not a disease indicator. All kinds of insect bites can cause a bullseye rash. You wouldn't know whether your dog had Lyme unless you tested for it.

 

I'm assuming your vet gave you the doxy prophylactically.

Thats what I am thinking also.

 

What do you think about this test?

My link

 

I appreciate all the great info!

 

Members of the tetracycline "family" (including doxycycline) chelate (or bind) iron, calcium, magnesium, etc. (divalent cations, for the science majors). If these drugs are taken while bones or teeth are developing, they will bind to the calcium. This results in the discoloration of the teeth. It does not affect the function of the teeth, but it is unsightly-- it looks like a greyish line. For this reason, you won't see tetracyclines used in pregnant women or children under the age of 8 (unless there is absolutely no other option). One paper I read said that 1/3 of kids who took tetracyclines had the discoloration... so, possible that your pup would be one of the 2/3s!!

 

So, for a 6 month old dog.... I do not know enough about canine development to know when their teeth are developing....

It's not anything you can alter by changing your brushing regimen and fix.... the grey discoloration is IN the enamel. Google tetracycline teeth stains... and you can see what they look like in humans. For humans, they end up doing some sort of cap or veneer-- the whitening products don't do much.

 

I would not worry about it happening with an adult dog-- but yours is a mere pup.

 

I don't know where 6 months puts development of dog teeth. Maybe Dr. Bill or another vet can chime in on that part.

 

I do know that if I had a choice of a grey with stained teeth or a dog with effects of an untreated tick bourne disease, I would be giving doxycycline as you are doing.... Ciprofloxacin and drugs in that family can be used for TBDs in humans, but there are reports of tooth discoloration with them (no pictures, and not as much info). So, hope that your pup is one of the 2/3s...

 

I hope that helps. I lecture on the drug class tetracyclines-- and every few years, I re-visit the tetracycline/ tooth discoloration issue to see if anything has changed... just updated that section this summer, so still lodged in my brain...

 

Carol

Thanks Carol! If it binds to calcium, will it affect her skeletal growth? Wow, this is like opening Pandora's box!

[packmom]

My little Weany had been given this as a pup and her teeth were always orange. She did have the healthiest teeth of my bunch. (not saying much)

[celbee]

Regarding bones... I have looked for this info in the past and have not found anything.

 

This is my speculation ONLY (based on the teeth)-- the effect on the teeth seems to be largely cosmetic-- discoloration and "enamel hypoplasia" (again, result is different appearance). In the dentistry articles that I read, it said that people who wanted treatment nearly always did so for cosmetic reasons (and not because their "teeth didn't work right" or were not strong, etc). So, if the same thing happened in the bones during development, maybe you would have discoloration in the bones. But, since we never look at our bones all cleaned off and white (during life), if there is discoloration, it's not visible so we don't think about it.... How much discoloration in the teeth depends on the dose and the length of treatment-- and when the treatment occurs-- and it doesn't occur in 100% of those who take it during human development (about 33%-- human stats). And how long is long enough?

 

So, I would still come down on the side of treating a tick bite that produced the bullseye...

This is what I would do for one of our greys. Would I put it in the water of all new pups-- NO.

 

I hope that helps a little bit (and I'm sure it is more than most people want to know!). Overall, it's a pretty safe drug. But, all drugs have side effects.

 

Carol