I may have mentioned this in an earlier message. My mare was diagnosed with PPID in July of 2020. Two weeks later she suffered a uveitis flare that still has not healed. The vets have tried various antibiotics, NSAIDs, scraping the surface of the eye and eye drops with no success. I live in a part of Atlantic Canada that is endemic for Lyme Disease. I pick Black-Legged ticks off my feral barn cat almost daily and have found them attached to my horses. I have been reading about Lyme in horses and some horses do suffer from uveitis. My mare had her first uveitis flare at age 21, long before my area was targeted as "Lyme Central" by health care individuals. I'm grasping at straws here, but is it possible that she may have Lyme and with her also being PPID now, that is why her corneal ulcers will not heal? Thoughts and suggestions are most welcome.
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Mary Ann & Rosie - Nova Scotia, Canada - Joined August 2020
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=252134
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Mary%20Ann%20and%20Rosie

Mary Ann,

Yes, all of that is very possible.
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Eleanor in PA

www.drkellon.com 
EC Owner 2001

Mary Ann, those are totally reasonable connections to make.  My horse, Logo, was PPID and had one very bad bout with uveitis.  PPID which is not well controlled can interfere with normal healing.  Lyme doesn’t even need to be present for this to happen.  Have you had her tested for Lyme?  I live in the US version of Lyme Central and ticks are a constant problem.  Right now, I have them fenced out of areas where I’ve seen deer in order to cut back on the tick bites I find.  I’ve treated several for Lyme but Logo, who was extremely reactive to the bites, never tested positive.
I’d also suggest testing her ACTH.  If you can get that better controlled with pergolide, you will most likely have better luck healing the corneal ulcers.
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Hi Mary Anne
I’m not a vet, just a person who’s ended up with a range of chronic tick-borne infections. With so many ticks visible on your horses and cat, I agree that Lyme Borreliosis is definitely a possibility, especially with your mare having ongoing uveitis. Tests for Lyme are not 100% accurate due to the complex nature of the disease (especially with later stage infections), and it’s worth bearing this in mind if you have your mare tested and she gets a negative result - it may not necessarily mean she doesn’t have Lyme.
As well as Lyme Borreliosis, ticks can transmit several other diseases to horses, too, like Anaplasmosis/Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, Bartonellosis and Rickettsia. Although in the past some areas seemed to be free of several of these, migrating birds (with numerous ticks attached to them) know no geographical boundaries, and climate change is requiring many birds and animals to relocate to avoid the impact of temperature changes.
Don’t forget to do regular tick checks on yourself, too. Adult ticks are relatively easy to spot and remove, but nymph ticks are tiny (the size of a poppy seed), harder to spot and trickier to remove in one piece.
Best wishes
Lesley & over the bridge Omar,
UK, 2012




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Lesley, 11-2012

Norfolk, UK

Omar - Case History

(Responding to a post from two years ago)

Oh my. My mind is thinking about "chronic" Lyme, COPD, and uveitis diagnoses arriving at about the same time (2021), and also suspicion of IR and/or PPID although I didn't test until recently. Lyme is negligible now according to testing but the uveitis has caused blindness and the COPD has impacted activity and comfort. 

Do I have any options now for easing or reversing any of these conditions in addition to Prascend and diet, exercise, etc. management for the PPID? 

Heart aching a bit more than usual right now.

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Lasell in VA 2022
Fairlane Rusty https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Fairlane%20Rusty%20Case%20History

It sounds like the Lyme is resolved and the blindness is not reversible so that primarily leaves COPD.  ?  Joint issues. Does he have a companion?
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Eleanor in PA

www.drkellon.com 
EC Owner 2001
The first step to wisdom is "I don't know."

Yes, he has a companion. What do you mean by joint issues?


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Lasell in VA 2022
Fairlane Rusty https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Fairlane%20Rusty%20Case%20History

Lasell, I can speak to what you called COPD.

My horse Tuck first experienced respiratory distress (commonly referred to as heaves) in October 2016, & in May 2019, a lower airway inflammation. In January 2020, an allergy report was generated from Spectrum Vet, revealing 17 reactive allergens. He receives a monthly injection prepared specifically for him & for all intents & purposes, he is symptom-free, UNTIL 2 days ago: a dry cough has developed…

Tuck has always lived outside 24/7 until mid-August of this year. He lives at a boarding facility that brings in his herd of 10 to stalls overnight. Normally airy & very clean, the recent Midwest cold snap has literally closed the doors on his living space. He is unable to access his outdoor pen attached to his stall & the indoor arena and it’s supply of dust is perhaps 25 feet away, doors also shut for the winter. Limiting exposure to not only barn dust but “mucor mix” was highly recommended.

Is your horse stalled? I have included reference to a Penn State Extension article updated 10/17/18 entitled Mold & Mycotoxins in Horse Hay.

Thankfully, Tuck is outside most of the day every day. Depending on how he does, I may need to negotiate a different living arrangement that allows 24/7 outdoor accommodations, which is my preference, for a number of reasons. He is also an IR horse, has a mature cataract of the left eye apparently due to recurrent uveitis and has experienced back-to-back flares of the same in the right eye. Sound for now, hooves in front brought to promising level of health through corrective & rehabilitative trimming over the last year (I first typed the word ‘tear’ instead of year-there have been shed tears too! Onward!)

Sincerely, Kim & Tuck


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*Kim F
* WI
2021

Joint pain - arthritis.
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Eleanor in PA

www.drkellon.com 
EC Owner 2001
The first step to wisdom is "I don't know."

Thank you, Kim. He’s out 24/7 except for about 4-6 hours a few days in the summer when it’s super hot and humid—harder on his breathing— then I bring him into the barn where it’s cooler, plus turn on a fan. 

I’ll look at the article you mention. 

Fortunately no laminitis issues.  
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Lasell (luh-SELL) ~ Virginia USA ~ September 2022
Fairlane Rusty https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Fairlane%20Rusty%20Case%20History

Dr. Kellon: arthritis:

Edited to add this sentence: I forgot he's been uncomfortable having either hind leg lifted for his hoof cleaning and trimming -- both are done with foot very low to the ground.  

Rusty has TMJ problem that chiropractic has helped. And I assume there are other joints affected or involved but he only once has hesitated to move and that was on our last trail ride (walking, about a month ago) on a mild-moderate steady incline. I got off and led him and he moved fine. Late morning,temps in the 70s, shady trail.

I’m familiar with his needing to stop to catch his breath but that day was different. Once we were going downhill and on the flat again, I mounted and he was fine.
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Lasell (luh-SELL) ~ Virginia USA ~ September 2022
Fairlane Rusty https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Fairlane%20Rusty%20Case%20History

I have not had Tuck tested for PPID. On 11/30, vet will draw insulin/glucose. Tuck is a white-haired grey-skinned appyX diagnosed with likely an immune-mediated uveitis, genetically predisposed, I am told.


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*Kim F
* WI
2021

Tuck is going to be 13. I know Cornell labs offers an ACTH combo with insulin. I have the guidelines for drawing the sample & the vet clinic uses Cornell. I will submit that. Thank you.


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*Kim F
* WI
2021