RE: Fwd: Lymes disease

["Snodgrass, Bonnie" <snodgrab@ncr.disa.mil>]

Last year a friend's horse was  diagnosed with Lyme disease. Pam is a
pharmacist by the way. She realized early on that something was not right
with her horse. She immediately called in our vet "who does believe that
horses contract Lyme disease" and after getting the results back from the
first blood titer he was started on antibiotics. I don't recall what he was
put on, but I recall that the vet stressed that it was imperative to get the
level in his blood stream up to a certain level and keep it there. I believe
he was on the antibiotics for at least 2-3 months. Frequently antibiotics
are given in too low of doses and stopped too soon and the disease (which is
cyclical) surges back. Pam has done extensive research on Lyme disease and
it's treatment as a close family member has been struggling with a chronic
case for a couple of years now.  I believe that more than one blood titer
was done on her horse over the period of treatment by the way. If you want I
can call her to find out more details of the treatment given to her horse.

Bonnie Snodgrass
> > --------------------------
> > I have received a positive lab result for lymes in my horse. Falky.  You
> in
> > the east  know the erratic late sumner, fall and spring I have had with
> Falky.
> > High pulse at the end of a ride,  in the middle of a ride,  tightening
> of his
> > jaw muscles,  lame before a ride ?of where, and sound the next day at
> the
> > vets.   Some of the best vets have looked him over and  shook their
> heads.  I
> > had a few suggest a test for Lymes and  laughed it off as the local
> vet's
> > said there were no cases  of positive lymes .
> > 
> > Now I need information on the disease as it affects horses.  Falky is on
> a 10
> > day course of oral antibiotics BID  Does lymes affect  horses like it
> does
> > humans?  Is it milder ?  What is the prognosis?  Any info would be
> greatly
> > appreciated.   Thanks, Pat Oliva