Posted 2015-09-01 9:08 AM Subject: Insect Transmitted Diseases?
So about a month ago my old mare (25) who has always been in good health, got ate up on one rear leg by flies or mosquitos. The whole leg swelled up great big. I contacted my vet and after about a week we got the swelling down finally and healed up. But now even a month later my mare is off in the front end. This mare has never been lame or off a day in her life prior to this. She is retired so I dont want to invest alot in her but should i be concerned about some insect transmitted diseases? But I thought normally the neurological diseases affected the rear end first not the front? Thanks for any ideas!
Posted 2015-09-01 10:02 AM Subject: RE: Insect Transmitted Diseases?
Expert
Posts: 1857
lyme disease is the only thing I can think of that would affect the joints without necessarily having any neurological symptoms. It will move around form joint to joint. I read somewhere that it hits the front end the most. Might be worth a blood test.
Posted 2015-09-01 10:49 AM Subject: RE: Insect Transmitted Diseases?
Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK
Probably completely unrelated. Try giving her some bute and see if it helps her get around better. It may be arthritis, an abscess, her toes are too long, or she has a bruise. Older horses need help to maintain their immune system. Not investing a lot in a horse and not keeping them without pain are two totally different things.
What makes you think that the bites on a rear leg from a month ago are affecting a front leg now? Is she showing any other neurological symptoms?
Ever since she got bit she has been stumbling a bit on this leg. She has always been the most surefooted horse I have. I understand she is old and with old age comes arthritis but she has gone from stumbling occasionally (right after getting bit)… to then stumbling way more often… to this morning actually being lame on that leg. I gave her some bute but want to get to the source of the issue and not cover it up. I do NOT want her to be in pain by any means but am not gonna invest thousands of dollars to get her “rideable” when she is now retired anyway.
ETA we just retired her this year because I got my other young horse up and running. She is one of those good ol horses that won't hardly show when they are pain and will just battle through anything is what has me worried.
Most diseases that are transmitted via insects are going to give you either flu-like symptoms or neurologic symptoms, not necessarily lameness.
I think odds are her lameness in the front has more to do with her age or it could just be completely unrelated.. maybe she has an abscess brewing, maybe she bruised her sole, etc.
The neurologic symptoms you would have would typically be pretty severe, and there would be fever. Unless its EPM theres usually not fever with that one.
Insect Transmitted Diseases?
