I just read an article that said it can flare up once you have had
it.
Also, I don't' vaccinate my dogs for it - 1, we're in TX so the
risk is low, and 2, the vaccine has only a 50% efficacy from what I understand,
that may have changed. The article said they were considering the dog vaccine
for horses but it doesn't sound like it's going to get much
traction.
Good luck with your pony,
Kristen
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dolores
Arste Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 6:44 AM To:
PatOlivatigger@xxxxxxx; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC]
lyme disease
Hi Pat,
I've had Lymes 4 times and one horse has had it once. So, in my
experience you can get Lymes again
I'm glad that the vets are more on the ball about Lymes now. When I first
got it they tried to tell me
I had Rheumatoid Arthritis because the Lymes test came up negative. It
was a vet tech who told
me that if I was a dog, they'd be treating me for Lymes. I got the
antibiotics and within three
days I felt better.
Only once did I have the classic bullseye mark but the symptoms were
dramatic and similar.
Lymes is a great pretender and can act like other things such as the
start of MS or RA.
We gave my horse IV antibiotics and then we kept him on oral antibiotics
for 3 months and
he fully recovered. The general malaise and fatigue and mysterious a
little off is no longer
hard for me to notice.
One of Steve Rojack's great 100 milers got Lymes and they said he'd just
lay out in the
pasture like he was dead. He came back to do 100's again as did my
horse.
I'm happy to report that 8 years after the first episode I don't have RA.
But, I do
think I react to almost every tick that I don't find right away. I'm so
careful about getting
ticks off early. I understand that they do have to be attached for 8
hours or more to
cause Lymes. In my second case, I can confirm. I was spending a lot of
time in NJ and
a lot of time taking ticks off. But, I missed the last one that climbed
on board for my 6
hour ride home and didn't find him until the morning. Sure enough about
10 days later,
all my joints hurt and I felt like I could hardly move.
Just my one rat experience. I treat any unexplained lameness or
fatigue as Lymes. I
