Living with Chronic Lyme Disease
_S. Phillips

Owners of horses with Chronic Lyme Disease say it's a tough road, but knowing some of the tricks make life with Lyme
Disease a little more bearable. Lyme is often difficult to diagnose in a human, and is quite often not diagnosed in horses
until it is well established in the body.  Unfortunately it is much more difficult to treat in the later stages.  For most horses
the disease becomes chronic, it will never truly go away.

The organism transmitted by the tiny deer tick invades the body and replicates itself in so many forms, that it often
affects several parts of the body at the same time, presenting symptoms of many illnesses and complicating the correct
diagnosis. The organism is a great pretender.  Symptoms of Chronic Lyme include, but are not limited to:

Poor energy levels.
Stiffness, muscle pain.
Shifting leg lameness
Swelling of multiple joints
Edema or eye inflammation
Irritability and body wide sensitivity to being touched.
Skin problems
Poor response to bute
Lyme conditions will worsen with the use of Steroids ***

Long term antibiotics are really the only choice for relief from the symptoms.  Skip the long term use of bute and use
herbal preparations and topical like Sore No More to relieve swelling and stiffness. Long term use of Bute can
have negative effects on the stomach lining, creating another problem the horse doesn't need to deal with.
Avoid formal exercise, instead keep your horse in a paddock where they have plenty of room to move around and
lye down in bedding. Short trail rides are often enjoyable as long as the terrain is not terribly difficult, and the key word here
is short.  Be sure you horse has good shelter, cold winds and damp weather can often be difficult. Consider a blanket
for the cold weather even if you live in a mild climate. The heat feels good to the horse and reduces stiffness. Wrap the legs
if they is a lot of stiffness in the joints. Apply a layer of Sore No More and a wrap twice daily, during damp weather.
An immune supplement AND a multi vitamin  is often a big part of good treatment.  Lyme destroys the immune system.
If your horse has a strong immune system, he can often keep the organism in check without presenting any symptoms,
so don't miss out on this important component. Lyme  can also change blood chemistry and often horses with Lyme
will present symptoms of vitamin deficiency.

Remember that Chronic Lyme NEVER completely goes away.  In some cases "pulsing" antibiotics
will help. Using this method keeps your horse on the antibiotics for 3 weeks, with one week off. For some horses
this process will be quite effective and a bit more cost effective for you. Stress is another factor to consider for your
horse. Stress has now been proven to increase Lyme symptoms, and often competitative events bring about stress
for our animals, take note if your horses symptoms worsen after an event. Talk to your vet about an increased dosing
schedule 3 days prior to an event for help to ward off the increase activity of the Lyme.

Lyme is a very difficult disease to live with, for human or horse, but it can be managed. It will slow down an
event horse in most cases, but your light competitor and trail buddy will still be your best friend and get along
well with well managed care.   For more information on Lyme Disease contact the International Lymes and Associated
Diseases Society in Washington DC.