Q: There has been an outbreak of Lyme disease in my area. What can I do to reduce the risk of my horse getting it? Is there a vaccination for horses? If my horse does get it, is there anything I can do to treat it?
Historically, equine Lyme disease has been somewhat difficult to diagnose, as the clinical signs can wax and wane and be somewhat indistinguishable from other musculoskeletal disorders. Lyme disease has been labeled “the great imitator” by many a frustrated veterinarian and physician, as clinical signs can sometimes be a challenge to pin down. Clinical signs of horses suffering an active infection of Lyme disease can present with signs similar to canine Lyme disease: shifting leg lameness, a low-grade fever, stiffness, and muscle soreness. Measuring Lyme disease antibodies in equine serum via a test called an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test or a Western blot can also be indicative of active infection. However, test results can become complicated by the fact that horses can have antibodies to the disease and not have an active infection.
If your horse exhibits lethargy, fever, or muscle soreness (which may be in the legs, neck, back, or a shifting leg lameness), have your vet out for a complete physical exam and blood work to rule out other cases of this group of clinical signs. Lyme disease is present predominantly in the Northeast, (in fact Lyme disease was first discovered in Old Lyme, CT, hence its name), but is gradually moving across the US and is seen frequently now down as far south as Florida and is spreading across the Midwest.
If Lyme disease if diagnosed in your horse, your vet will likely prescribe a three to six week course of a daily oral antibiotic called doxycycline and maybe even an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) such as flunixin meglumine (Banamine) to make your horse more comfortable. Intravenous injections of the antibiotic tetracycline can also be used to cure this disease. Cases of equine Lyme disease tend to respond fairly quickly to either antibiotic therapy – sometimes owners may see clinical improvement within a few days. However, it is imperative to continue treatment for the fully prescribed period to ensure proper clearance of the bacteria from within the body.
Due to a horse’s coat, the classic bull’s eye skin lesion seen in humans with Lyme disease is not evident in horses (or dogs for the same reason). Additionally, one of the more serious complications sometimes seen in dogs and humans called Lyme nephritis, or kidney inflammation, luckily hasn’t really been demonstrated in the equine world so far.
As with most diseases, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Make it part of your daily grooming routine to check your horse for ticks, keeping in mind that deer ticks are very small and like to attach in hidden crevices on the body, so be sure to check behind your horse’s elbows, along the cinch, groin, behind the ears, under the jaw, and between his hind legs. If you see an attached tick, remove it with tweezers by steady pressure at the head. It can be a bit distressing (and disgusting!) to see a huge, engorged tick attached to your beloved companion but take heart – the transmission of Lyme disease requires tick attachment for 12 to 24 hours – so as long as you are removing ticks on a once to twice daily basis, chances for transmission of this disease are greatly minimized.
There is currently no USDA approved equine vaccine for Lyme disease. Anecdotally some individuals have used the canine vaccine on their horses but this is highly discouraged as there is no scientific data to prove this helps in equine prevention against Lyme disease. Furthermore, administering a canine vaccine to a horse may increase the risk of causing an adverse reaction in your horse. Proper tick control is currently the best way to help prevent this disease.
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Oh my gosh, this just made my day. I have Chronic Lyme Disease and I’ve been really worried that my horse might be exposed to it. I know Lyme Disease is spreading like crazy in my town. Thanks for the great tips!
WOULDNT IT BE WONDERFUL FOR ALL THE PESKY DISEASE CARRYING BUGS TO NOT EVEN EXIST? LIFE WOULD BE ALOT BETTER FOR OUR BELOVED HORSE AND DOG PALS, AND OURSELVES!
Good advise. I went and brought guinea hens, and now very seldom see or get ticks.
I hate bugs and everything so much.
Love horses though. Go figure.
I did not know that the tick had to be there that long in order to spread lyme disease. Now the threat seems so less threatening!
Nasty little creatures!!
This article contains some false information. It has been proven that transmission of Lyme disease from a tick does not require the tick to be attached 12-24 hours, it takes no more than the instant the tick breaks the skin. I have experienced this several times. If a tick carries Lyme disease, then once it bites something it immediately transmits the disease to the person or animal it has bitten.
Lexi, the Centers for Disease Control states that in most cases, a tick must be attached for 36-48 hours to transmit the disease. http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html
Thanks for the information. My horse gets ticks on the inside of her back legs every time she goes into the woods at the back of the property. They are persistent critters and very hard to remove without pulling off the head.
Martha,
Whether or not the Centers for Disease Control states that it takes 36-48 hours to transmit the disease does not change the fact that I have had several experiences of someone being tested positive for Lyme disease only minutes after the tick has been attached.
It does not matter how much research someone has done until they have performed studies to prove their theory. I see my experiences as unintentional studies to prove that it takes no longer than for a tick to break the skin for Lymes to be transmitted.
The only reason I share this information is because I do not want anyone to let their guard down about the spreading of Lyme disease; it can cause serious illness if left untreated. This article seems to encourage unconcerned behavior toward the prevention of this disease, but I know from experience that quick action is required when Lyme disease is suspected.
Lyme disease is growing disease in equine, especially in my area. After three sets of x-rays for a lame horse, we found that she has tested positive for Lyme in the serum test. We then followed up with Multiplex testing to see how advanced the disease is & think through a plan of attack. My second horse did not have ANY clinical signs. I requested that we test him as well. His Serum count came back 5X higher than my lame horse. We are currently treating him w/Doxy. I am optomistic that there will be a cure, until then I hope for the best and always keep a bottle of Doxy in my home. FYI – Both my dogs are positive for Lyme disease as well. Both were immunized & used Frontline religiously.
There is no medical evidence showing that Lyme disease is transmitted the instant a tick attaches. There is always a time lag between attachment of the tick and transmission of the disease – this is true will all tick-borne diseases. Diseases are rarely “instantly” transmitted. Your experiences with this “instant” transmission are likely due to the horse already being infected from a previous bite and not the current bite you are associating it with.
Carol,
There may not be medical evidence showing instant transmission of Lyme disease, but holistically, veterinarians (and doctors) have discovered that diseases can be transmitted at any instant after the tick has bitten. I have learned this from a homeopathic doctor.
As far as treatment goes, there are antivirals and herbs that I have personally had success with, as well as many other people I know.
Good advice.