Lyme Disease is on the Rampage in Virginia

http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-tick-problems-100517,0,6031502.story

I took our 11 lb. yorkie-poo to the vet earlier this month for her annual shots and vaccinations.  One of the tests they ran is for Lyme Disease.  Rosie tested positive.  :o/  The vet didn't seem too worried and prescribed her some medication to take over the course of 30 days.

We came home and upon researching Lyme Disease in dogs, I had several questions answered on why she had acted the way she has been which is depressed.  While some dogs show no outward evidence, some of the symptoms that a dog might experience is loss of appetite, arthritis, lameness, and depression. Other symptoms include:

 •Reluctance to move or a stiff, painful gait

•Swollen joints that are warm to the touch

•Pain in the legs or throughout the body

•Fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes

So, that explained why she would not eat and laid in her crate day in and day out.  I even made it a point to take her out for more walks to try to get her out of her funk.  Little did I know that probably caused her pain.  Poor doggie.
She was on the medication for a solid week before showing any signs of improvement.  She spent a couple of days with some energy but then went back to her depressed mode.  Two weeks after being diagnosed and started on her medication, she awoke in obvious pain.  She would not get up and if she did, she whole body shook as she limped across the kitchen to get a fallen piece of food.  Her appetite was back somewhat but she was in so much pain that I called the vet and asked to bring her back in. 
They took extras to find that the Lyme disease settled in her right shoulder joint.  They upped her dose to twice a day for 30 days and put her on a 5 day prescription of pain pills.  Instantly, my Rosie is back to herself, however, she has been excused from 6 weeks of limited physical activity with no walks.  Now that she has gained her energy back, I am wondering how I am to keep her sane without going stir crazy.  
$300 in one month on vet bills... All because of a tick.  I urge you to check your pets, children and yourself for tick on a daily basis.  It's an easy prevention that could have costly and painful consequences if going untreated.