Some Thoughts on Ticks

Here in the east where you have ticks, you have lymes.  I've had it, my horse has had it, and so have several of my friends and their horses and dogs.  I guess I should have said we all have it, since lymes is like malaria, once you get it you have it for life. 

Now if you catch it early enough, you can battle it down to the ground with about six weeks on doxycycline.  That is if it's the garden variety lymes.  Seems like there's a more virulent strain out there. I relapsed twice and Kitt was pulsed on doxy, six weeks on, twelve weeks off for two years.  Both of us, now, are symptom free and have been for years.  Hopefully, with enough high level antioxidants, we will both stay that way.

But there is another strain, which hopefully we both are immune to, that is a killer literally.  Three of my friends have had to put their horses down because of it. It attacks quickly and affects the nervous system and the brain.

Here are the symptoms in humans of garden variety lymes

1.. Exhaustion.  I was so tired and weak, walking across the room was enough to make me feel like fainting.
2.  Aches - you ache all over.
3.  Low grade fever.

Here are the symptoms in horses.

1. Soreness.  Your horse will ache all over, but it will be worse in either the front or the back.
2. Sensitivity to touch. 
3. Changes in mood or attitude. He or she will become much more excitable and spooky.
4. Fever

If either you or your horses have any of these symptoms, get the blood work done. It's an easy test and the doxy works right away.