FREE EQUINE
VETERINARY ADVICE
Over the past five years, vet Stephen Ashdown has written many
articles, spoken on equine matters and contributed widely to horse
magazines.
Here he reproduces
in the form of questions and answers about 100 topics, all of
them common problems which afflict horses.
To access
Topics click on Vet Advice Menu.
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LYME DISEASE
Q. My Arab mare, who is in her late teens, has been diagnosed with
Lyme disease. What is this and are there any complementary treatments?

A. Lyme
disease is a condition caused by infection with a bacteria-like
organism called Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is carried by
ticks and mostly affects people and dogs. Horses are rarely affected
and so must be quite resistant to the organism. If your horse is
affected, it is likely that her immune system is quite weak. Signs
of the disease might include general weakness, a temperature and
stiffness or lameness. Treatment of this condition is usually
carried out by a vet, using the right kind or antibiotics as quickly
as possible. I would also recommend that you use an immune-boosting
herbal formula to try to improve
the action of the antibiotics and strengthen your horse's overall
recovery. A good quality Echinacea-based product will help considerably.
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