"Control Lyme Disease & Maintain your Horse’s Immune System Forever."

Howdy Friends!

Lyme Disease is a horrible thing, and very difficult to “cure,” “manage” or “prevent.” But there is one thing we can do I personally know works, to manage this dreaded invader of soundness in our horses. All the Holistic Veterinarians, and doctors I’ve interviewed, or read, come back to the same opinion, “The best long term defense is a sound, super strong immune system.” So years ago I set about to find the best, most dependable and proven way to build the strongest possible immune system in my mare, Kessy, who had 5 years ago tested off the charts with Lyme. Yes first I did, and believe in, treat with doxycycline, and had seemingly satisfactory results, almost.

My mare, Kessy, enjoys a Lyme free life and powerful immune system thanks to my animal husbandry, and Dr. Thomas' "Total Immune Health" Chinese Herbal Blend. Do it for your horse.

I wanted long term protection and management. You see in all my research, and I did much, I found that when we treat with any antibiotics the mutated spirochetes feel the attack, and hide deep in the muscle tissue only to reemerge when the threat of antibiotics are gone, and in a newly morphological form. And each time they can attack another system, nerves, muscle, joints, organs. It is an ever-present threat, not to mention your horse could get a new flea bite any day.

So what to do? Again the best solution is a powerful, top notch, firing on all cylinders Immune System. That way no matter how the Lyme spirochetes awaken and attack, the horse can defend itself AND WIN. And it will.

It is also imperative we help our horses maintain a healthy immune system for many other reasons because most of the things we do to, and with our horses, deplete the horse’s immune – especially their ability to produce white blood cells. The very heart of the immune.

How do we injure our horse’s immune? Most everything we do, fly sprays, grains, over-vaccinations, chemical worming, stress from repetitive training, confinement to stalls and too small turnouts, too much grass, insufficient exercise, inadequate water, too little forage –and on and on. All these human induced differences to the equines’ echo system, diet and life style effects the horse’s ability to maintain in peak efficiency its immune system, and white blood cells which are the very soldiers of the immune defensive army.

I recommend and use Dr. Thomas’ “Total Immune Health Solution.”

I have a history that spans a number of years with Dr. Thomas and have seen the results in my own horse Kessy for IR, Heaves and Lyme. And have seen first hand the results in horses as I traveled about doing clinics. As to the white blood cell counts and his formulation, he has proven it in field trial case studies with before and after blood count tests. And shortly I’ll be writing about how he helped me personally with my severe chronic pain, too... I also recommend, and keep Kessy on a maintenance dose permanently of his “Total Immune Health.”

I’ve said here pretty much said all I can here, read on now in Dr. Thomas’ own words, and yes, he does write like a doctor, but you’ll enjoy!

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“The culprit behind Lyme disease is Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterial infection that typically responds to antibiotics such as doxycycline. However, Borrelia burgdorferi can exist in a morphological form
known as a spirochete and is a form of ‘resistant’ bacteria that can evade antibiotics. The spirochete cells ‘communicate’ among themselves and ‘exchange information,’ an event that also occurs with other resistant bacteria. After doxycycline treatment, or the other antibiotics used for this infection, the horse's immune system is left seriously weakened. Once the antibiotics are out of the horse's system the spirochetes re-enter the previously infected ‘site.’

“The Lyme infection causes an immune ‘complex’ imbalance between the innate immune complex/system and the adaptive immune complex/system. Both of these immune complexes have different leukocytes (white blood cells) that work independently as well as synergistically with the adaptive immune system ‘jumping in’ to assist the innate immune system when it cannot effectively deal with the ‘invading ‘ infectious antigen...Lyme disease appears to actually suppress the body's natural white blood cells, that are critical to the innate immune system.

“It is common for horses in the later stages of Lyme disease to mount a poor immune response due to low white blood cell (leukocytes) counts as seen on blood chemistry CBC with Differential.

It is because of my Total Immune Heath Solution continued usage that brings about successful treatment of this virulent bacterial infection and following with maintenance dosage of this herbal blend keeps Lyme's from returning. The benefits of keeping your horse on Total Immune Heath Solution after successful treatment of an immune related disorder/problem begins with the maintenance of the ‘correct’ number and balance of mature healthy leukocytes (white blood cells). From this place your horse looks and feels healthy, happy and ‘prepared’ for any disturbance in their health. Total Immune Heath Solution is precisely formulated to stimulate the production of the specific leukocytes needed to fight off infection and keeps immune health with a maintenance dosage.” ~ Dr. Joesph Thomas, The world’s foremost authority on contemporary Chinese Herbalism.

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I whole-heartedly recommend, and suggest, every horse owner who worries about Lyme, has treated their horse for Lyme, or simply wants to be assured their horse has a top notch immune system, put their horse on Dr. Thomas’ “Total Immune Health Solution.” And continue a maintenance dose year round. This herbal formulation works directly with the bone marrow to build leukocytes (white blood cells).

For your horse’s sake go to their website www.forloveofthehorse.com and have a look, and contact them. If your horse has, or has had, Lyme, put them on Dr Thomas’ Total Immune Health, and consider using it for all horses just to boost that immune, forever. I do for my Kessy. ~ Gitty Up, Dutch.

"A Horse’s Healthy Immune System"

Howdy Friends,

All things for a horse are better with an immune system firing on all cylinders. Protecting our horse’s healthy immune system is one of the most important things we can, and indeed should, do in my opinion. The thoughts I’m about to share are mine, you may take them into account or disregard.

Kessy taking in the sun on a chilly winter morning

Recently while working with a client and her horse we began discussing immune health and skin issues. I believe rain rot, inside ear rash, scratches and even thrush are signs of a weakened immune system. I also believe they must be most effectively cured from the “inside out.” I subscribe to the theory that topical treatments treat the symptom, not the root cause. Less than glowing, shining coat and any skin condition always, for me, points to the immune system. I think of it as the earliest warning sign, and if not heeded many things can go wrong leading to more significant disorders.

What can we do to be sure our horses have the most powerful immune system possible? There are many products available; supplements, vitamins, herbs, immune boosters. For a long time I researched many, and indeed used many different approaches. Thanks to the blessing of being allowed to write for “Natural Horse Magazine,” I’ve had the honor and privilege of interviewing some of this country’s most knowledgeable and respected holistic doctors and veterinarians, animal health care providers, herbalists, acupuncture practitioners, trainers and more, and have learned so much I often joke I should pay Lisa Ross Williams, owner publisher, for the college education she’s provided me!

Among those I’ve met is Dr. Joseph Thomas, the world’s foremost Chinese Herbalist, and founder of “For Love of the Horse,” and like others I’ve written about we’ve become friends. Having been convinced that the best long term defense/maintenance for the battle against Lyme disease is in fact the horse’s own immune system, I have for several years been working to build my mare Kessy’s, as she has chronic Lyme and has ever since I’ve owned her.

I knew that Dr. Thomas had a proprietary blend of pharmaceutical grade herbs, “Total Immune Health,” and I asked him about using it to help my mare. He assured me it would and explained his blend, after years of research, is designed to, and proven to, boost the immune system at its very core, in the bone marrow—which he has many times proven with before and after blood work showing the increased white blood cells. I put Kessy on it and indeed within the first week saw results, even though she had started at a good place.

I mentioned my client the other day that I do a Dr. Thomas treatment each spring getting ready for summer insects, ticks etc. She asked why only once a year and why not stay on it year-round.

I explained while I totally believe Dr. Thomas’ products are the very best available to us today, and indeed are scientifically backed up; they can only be part of the whole.

Management, I explained, plays a huge, perhaps the biggest role in protecting a horse’s immune system. Many, many things we do can help or detract from it. I truly believe that once a year is all my mare needs in that I am fanatical about not doing anything to lower, or stress her immune system throughout the year. Things to avoid (all things I'm about to list we now know, can indeed damage or confuse, or in some cases shut down immune operations) ... I don't re-vaccinate (immunologists have known sine the '70's once a lifetime is enough for everything except tetanus,) ... I don't use chemical wormer only herbal, I use no chemical fly sprays only natural (most fly sprays don't work very well anyway) ... I don't blanket (I know this one is confusing, but it matters) ... I don't stall ever ... I feed no grain, and I'm a barefoot practitioner. Now I understand some of these are difficult to agree with, believe, believe in, buy into, or even want to accept and I understand that... I understand peer pressure, habits, lifestyles etc, but there ya have it ... I was not always a believer either, but I've seen with my own experiences the truth behind the practices I try hard to promote, "It's for the Horses." ... We must always remember as well, horses have a strangely fragile immune system when it comes to man-made interference especially.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry.

"Lyme Disease—What can you do to protect your horse?"

Howdy Friends,
 

Lyme Disease has now been found to be carried by all ticks and last year it was discovered in biting insects! It is spreading almost completely across the country north and south, from coast to coast. Sadly it is still often misdiagnosed as other ailments, often disregarded as behavioral issues, or confusing lameness. Many times it is not treated effectively. Even if treated you should know once a horse has Lyme Disease it is never “cured.” This disease can and does cripple, and even kill horses. What can you do about Lyme Disease to protect your horse?

Kessy has been dealing with chronic Lyme disease ever since we've been together, but with sound management we are winning.

Lyme was first discovered by Dr. Allen Steere in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975 hence the name, and today according to some experts nearly every horse along the East Coast is affected, and many carry the subclinical, or even clinic conditions for years, slowly but determinately chipping away at the horse’s health, and sanity. Lyme disease has spread all the way to Florida, and it's not just an East Coast thing anymore, it's in Kentucky and recently been reported in Texas and even California. Today, Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness in the United States. Lyme Disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness in the United States.

Lyme Disease is a disease of inflammation resulting in pain and discomfort. It enters via the blood and quickly moves into soft tissues, burrowing its way into organs and eventually into the central nervous system and brain. It is a progressive disease that can, and will cause irreparable damage to the whole body. And studies have shown that long standing, chronic Lyme can cause arthritic changes to joints.

Lyme is the one thing we can test for, treat and manage. So why not? Cornell University’s Lyme Multiplex test is easy and affordable. Currently it is the most accurate test available. This test is finally catching nearly all the chronically infected horses. If your horse has any Lyme symptoms, for her sake PLEASE TEST. But even if this most reliable test comes back negative or low numbers, if you see any symptoms TREAT HER—this disease is crafty and you need to be too.

What are the symptoms? Many and varied! But don’t let that stop you! Everything from temperament change, to suddenly becoming “spooky” to lethargy, to aggressiveness, sensitivity to touch, mysterious and “wondering lameness” (first one leg than another) and generally being “off,” mildly or grossly unhappy, disinterested, grumpy ... this disease causes chronic pain and different horses deal with pain in different ways. Your horse may have any one of theses symptoms or several, or they come and go and you might think it was “nothing.” Trust me it was “something.”

How do we treat? First treat aggressively with antibiotics, don’t hesitate, treat. Of course consult your vet, but in my opinion start with 100 Doxycycline pills a day for 8 weeks. You should see changes within a week in her willingness, carriage and demeanor. But you are never done ... This disease is persistent and the spirochetes are masters at hiding when under attack by antibiotics, and when the coast is clear and antibiotics are out of the body they sneak out again and attack another system—one big reason Lyme is so often misdiagnosed.

Antibiotics cannot win this battle for your horse by themselves, Lyme is too crafty. But your horse’s immune system can! How? And why?

Each time we treat a horse with antibiotics it does indeed help stop the infection, but it also damages the immune system, and sends the spirochetes into deep muscle and tissue hiding, just waiting to resurface—then it will attack another system in the body. Our most effective weapon is the horse’s own immune system, STRENGTEN IT!

A strong immune system can change on a dime and attack and defeat the invader, antibiotics cannot. No matter which system Lyme attacks, blood, muscle, bone, nervous system, cartilage, spinal column—the healthy immune system can instantly send an army to stop the attack, and it will win. This has been proven in recent years to be the very best in long term defense against Lyme we can give our horses.

How can you strengthen your horse’s immune system? First is a healthy forage based diet (I believe in a total forage diet, no grain— you can read my mare’s diet HERE) and of course plenty of exercise (no stall living). Then stop over vaccinating, if you haven’t already, every time a horse is Re-vaccinated it harms the immune system ... immunologists have known this since the 1970s—you can read my story about Dr. Falconer HERE EXCERPT — "Most vaccinations for horses are for viruses, and veterinarian immunologists have proven scientifically that, once vaccinated for a virus, resulting immunity lasts a very long time, perhaps a lifetime." Dr. Falconer explained that repeated vaccinations not only confuse the immune system, but often cause it to turn on itself, and even attack healthy red blood cells.” Also follow this link to his website for more info and information on TRANFER FACTOR a proven immune system booster supplement. It works.

I’ll introduce you to Dr. Thomas as well, a noted Chinese Herbalist. Read his story HERE – and follow this link to his Website. He has a very high quality blend of herbs proven to boost the immune system, my mare Kessy is on it and I have seen and loved the results. No matter your thoughts, I recommend you give this to your horse.

You can help your horse deal with the horrors of Lyme disease— and flourish! The disease is going to be here no matter what we do, we cannot prevent it, but with these simple techniques we can empower our horses to WIN! As always, email me or talk to me on Facebook to discuss more. After all, It’s For The Horses!

Gitty Up~Dutch Henry

P.S. If you’ve not yet signed up for my newsletter please follow this link - http://eepurl.com/bknmnf and join our newsletter family ... Be part of the fun! AND just a head’s up my book “It’s for the Horses, An advocate’s musings about their needs, spirit, gifts and care,” will be released MAY 12 ... you can email me to order an autographed copy or watch for the  link to Amazon on my Facebook page next week. Thanks!

"Let's Talk About Lyme Disease"

Folks, this is a long post, but a very important one. Please read it all ... Lyme Disease is a painful and progressive disease that can, and will cause irreparable damage to the whole body ... So many horses are being trained for behavioral issues when really they may just be suffering with Lyme.What are the symptoms?

Howdy Folks,

Saturday I attended the final installment of Diane Sept's winter "Equine Discussion Group," always informative, productive and enlightening. This week Diane had a guest speaker, Jeanne Starr, an AHA certified barefoot trimmer owner of Feet First Natural Hoofcare and Whole Horse Homeopathy and overall equine wellness coach who promotes "the whole horse approach." She's also been studying and promoting the homeopathic way of living and caring for horses and other animals. One of her topics as guest speaker was Lyme Disease, and as I listened I knew I had to share some of the discussion here.

The Lyme problem is spreading farther and farther and the effects on people, pets and horses can be very bad, and even life threatening. Bold statement, but friends, sadly it's true. We'll focus here on Lyme and horses.

 So what are the symptoms of Lyme Disease? ... Remember Lyme causes pain. Many horses are open about their pain and let you know they are hurting. Others are more stoic and internalize it, dealing with it on their own level, turning inward. For the open communicative horses you'll see a change in their behavior such as spooking in ways that surprise you. They may become grouchy, excited, begin bucking when asked for the canter, become cinchy, develop a sensitivity to being brushed or touched. They may develop an unexplained lameness or stiffness, or begin tripping. They may not be eager to great you anymore. They may exhibit foot tenderness from regular use or after a trim ... The more stoic horses will appear lethargic, tired, have a lack energy and/or are unwilling to move about. Many horses actually become depressed. Some folks say their horses suddenly become "stubborn." They are not stubborn or lazy, they simply hurt. And they hurt all over! A lot ... If you see any signs of behavioral change, or even suspect your horse is in pain, please test. You owe it to your horse. And treat aggressively.

Lyme was first discovered by Dr. Allen Steere in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975 hence the name, and today according to some experts nearly every horse in the New England area is affected, and many carry the subclinical, or even clinic conditions for years. Lyme disease has spread all the way to Florida, and it's not just an East Coast thing anymore, it's in Kentucky and recently been reported in Texas. Lyme is a tick born disease and was originally believed to be carried mainly by the common Deer Tick, but leading researchers reported almost a decade ago that 85% of all tick species were carrying the disease. Today, Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness in the United States.

Lyme disease is a disease of inflammation resulting in pain and discomfort. It enters via the blood and quickly moves into soft tissues, burrowing its way into organs and eventually into the central nervous system and brain. It is a progressive disease that can, and will cause irreparable damage to the whole body. And studies have shown that long standing, chronic Lyme can cause arthritic changes to joints.

"Lyme is the one thing we can test for, treat and manage. So why not?" Jeanne said. "Cornell University’s Lyme Multiplex test is easy and affordable. Currently it is the most accurate test available. This test is finally catching nearly all the chronically infected horses." She went on to explain that all tests are just a snapshot in time and all have the potential for false negatives. "It just depends on where the spirochetes are hiding at the time you pull blood. And remember, a horse has roughly 34 liters of blood and we are pulling a very small sample."

With the help of a few local licensed veterinarians, Jeanne has drawn and tested hundreds of horses in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania and reports that at a rough estimate 75 – 85 % turn up positive. And that was before we had the Cornell Multiplex test! ... She recommends if you suspect Lyme, please test. And if you get a negative result but see symptoms, you can always request that your veterinarian treat to see if there is any improvement in your horse. At the very least, retest in 1 month.

There are many variations of treatments and your veterinarian will be able to advise you. Be sure to retest about 6 months after the last treatment to make sure that your treatment was effective and produced a drop in titer levels. Once positive, Jeanne also recommends that you have your horse tested for titer levels once a year, preferably in the spring before riding season starts. In Jeanne's experience she has found that aggressive treatment is needed. The more chronic the disease the longer the treatment will need to be.

There are also Homeopathic remedies that show promise, and you should seek the counsel of a qualified Homeopathic consultant to pursue these remedies effectively. Jeanne’s homeopathic consultant and teacher, Rob Bannan, LCH, LCCH is a wealth of knowledge for those of you seeking more information homeopathic healing. He can be reached at  http://www.innerhealthworks.com/ .

I will share the story of my own mare, Kessy … She had days of moodiness, unwillingness, even displayed clear signs of anger, and a little spooking. Then other days she was absolutely perfect. I suspected Lyme – for a year! … But because she had many more "perfect days" than "bad days" I continually talked myself out of it. Foolishly I blamed it on her cycles. Finally I tested her. The results came back from Cornell that she was "chronic" with very high numbers. We treated her with 100 Doxycycline pills a day for 8 weeks. We saw changes within a week in her willingness, carriage and demeanor.

We will be testing her again today as a matter of fact. It's been 5 months since her last treatment, and sorry to say, but about a month ago I began to see questionable behavior. We'll be pulling blood this afternoon and I will begin treatments even before I have the results from Cornell. Jeanne explains that in her experience it's quite common to see the symptoms reappear. Especially in horses as chronic as Kessy had been. Diane, Jeanne and my vet all suspect Kessy came to me with Lyme 33 months ago. When treating a chronic horse Jeanne has found often that there will be immediate noticeable results, only to have some symptoms return in a few months, or sooner. She suspects two things, the obvious is re-infection as ticks are everywhere, but often during treatment the spirochetes find a way to hide from the antibiotics. This is where alternative healing modalities from immune boosting nutrition to acupuncture and homeopathy give the horse a true fighting advantage.

Remember too, it is very important to care for the overall health of your horse during treatment. Feeding good quality probiotics (not the ones full of sugar) keeps the gut strong and maintains both the number and quality of the immune cells produced there. In fact the healthier the gut, the stronger the immune system.

Lyme is not going away anytime soon so be vigilant in your observations and care. If for any reason you suspect Lyme, test and treat. Even if your test comes back negative suggest to your veterinarian you want to treat anyway, and watch for the changes in your horse's health and attitude, which will reveal the truth. So many horses are being trained for behavioral issues when really they may just be suffering with Lyme. Also, consider a Lyme test part of your pre-purchase exam when buying a horse.  It is often much more revealing than a set of xrays.

Another thing Jeanne has found in her practice is there seems to be a link between Lyme and Insulin Resistant (IR) horses. Lyme is an inflammatory disease which attacks and weakens the immune system and opens the door to all sorts of metabolic chaos as well as other disease states. Many well-respected researchers now believe that there is an immune component to IR. Which came first, Lyme or IR, that’s the question. In any case, Jeanne recommends that any horse with a metabolic disorder be tested for Lyme disease as well. She has found that on more than several occasions with her IR horse clients, Lyme disease was a possible trigger. And when treated effectively and in conjunction with a low None Structured Carbohydrate (NSC) diet, (http://ecirhorse.org/) often results in a quick return to wellness. “It’s always about treating the Whole Horse!”

Feel free to contact Jeanne at  gofeetfirst@gmail.com with any questions.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry