The question isn’t how long can my dog live with Lyme disease. Instead, ask if your dog needs to be treated if positive for Lyme but has no symptoms. Dogs can clear the Lyme bacteria independently in 90–95% of animals. How long that takes is not known, but most do not get sick. Those that do get sick without treatment may suffer for days to weeks and recover or could die, while others (those with kidney damage or heart damage) may deteriorate rapidly, dying in days. The question isn’t how long can my dog live with Lyme disease. Instead, ask if your dog needs to be treated if positive for Lyme but has no symptoms. Dogs can clear the Lyme bacteria independently in 90–95% of animals. How long that takes is not known, but most do not get sick. Those that do get sick without treatment may suffer for days to weeks and recover or could die, while others (those with kidney damage or heart damage) may deteriorate rapidly, dying in days.