Is 28 days of doxycycline still justified for canine Lyme arthropathy? A call for a randomized controlled trial

Author:
Publication type: 
Journal Article
Publication date: 
2026-09
Journal/Series title: 
J Am Vet Med Assoc
Abstract: 

This Viewpoint proposes there is clinical equipoise to evaluate shorter durations of 10 days of doxycycline in dogs with uncomplicated Lyme arthropathy and outlines a prospective parallel-group randomized controlled trial to reassess treatment duration. Determining whether a shorter treatment course is clinically effective also has important implications for antimicrobial stewardship by minimizing unnecessary antimicrobial exposure and selection pressures for antimicrobial resistance.