Yes, wallyblue, dogs unfortunately contract Lyme's and other TBDs (tick-borne diseases) directly from ticks, just as humans do. We see a lot of ticks here and have had a lot of experience with TBD. Lyme's, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever...all can be transmitted through a tick bite.
Symptoms include rotating lameness (the lameness is in one limb one day, in another the next), stiffness, fever, and lethargy. If you see any of these symptoms or your dog goes off food, it's time for a vet visit. It can take a few weeks for symptoms to develop and depending on which test is used, the results can be falsely negative for longer than that. So if your dog shows symptoms but tests negative for tick diseases, ask your vet to treat with antibiotics, anyway. If caught early, you have a much greater chance of kicking the TBD.
Hope that helps!
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