my miniature filly is very sick

[sammyelle]

My yearling 33 inch filly is down with a tick, she has tried to get up a few times however her hind end is completly paralyzed so she cant. We had the vet out about 10 minutes ago he gave her the tick serom and a couple of other injections but I forgot what there name was. We have moved her into our float where it is warmer and have put a rug over her as the vet said to keep her body temperature regulated.

I am going to sleep in the float so I can turn her every few hours as the vet suggested, Is there anything else I can do? I am so worried about her, has anyone had this happen before where the mini lived?

 

[momtotwo]

Thankfully I've never had a horse down with a tick. I used to have a Beagle dog that went down with ticks several times. We were living on a 3,000+ acre ranch back in the days before Advantix, etc. and she had free roam. She always managed to make it home before the paralysis kicked in. The first time it happened I called the vet and he said to pull off all the ticks I could find and give her time to recoup, bring her in the next day if she wasn't better. A few hours later she was back up again. I would think it would be a lot harder on a horse though as they can't stand being down like a dog can. Prayers and best wishes heading your way!

 

[Getitia]

A friend of ours had this exact same thing happen a couple of years ago with several tiny weanling miniature yearlings that were running together in tall grass near a stream. All were covered with ticks and all went down within a few hours of each other. They first thought they had been poisoned - then someone notice all of these ticks crawling on them and as they looked closer, they were just covered in the mane and tail area. It took several people many hours to remove all of the ticks. Once removed - no other treatment was given and by the next day they were standing and then by day 3 they were back to normal.

The most important thing for you to do is inspect your horses mane and tail and remove all of the ticks -

 

[dmhstacy]

I have had a filly down with a tick and pulled her through.

Lots of massage, get someone to help hold her up as if she was standing for a few minutes to get the blood circulating through her legs (though she wont stand on them). Do this a few times a day (every couple of hours).

No food, no water regardless as it will go straight into her lungs. Fluids by IV.

Ask your vet if he gave the drugs to help keep the fluid off her lungs.

My vet gave sedatives to stop her thrashing her head as she started to get better. (trying to get up before her legs started working)

Check her for other ticks - including inside her ears on her udder, mane everywhere.

BUT remember im not a vet - so ask your vet first.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

That sounds frightening! Ticks are a scrouge! My son was just diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. He doesn't remember getting a tick bite, but he wonders if he got it from picking ticks off his dogs and maybe had a small open wound on his hand. I had never heard of a paralyzing tick.

 

[Joyce]

So sorry to hear about the tick problems. I hope your mare will be ok.

We do keep chickens and ducks on the farm and they free range every afternoon and take care of our tick problem pretty good. I see a tick occasionally on one of the farm cats as they go off in the woods but I check them everyday.

Joyce L

 

[runaway ranch]

Is there a vacination to protect the horses??

 

[nootka]

As I am not a veterinarian and have NO experience with this, I can only suggest massaging your horse to keep blood flowing and healing optimized (I would think). Horses are dynamic and as you know, don't normally lie down for long periods of time, so keeping them turned is right on and I don't think some massage would hurt and it might just comfort her.

I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope she's just fine, soon.

Liz M.

 

[Scoopiedoo]

How is she today? Continued prayers for a quick recovery for her!

Jodi

 

[SWA]

Oh no Sammy! I just read your post here. I hope your filly is going to be ok. I've only heard of one other horse getting this, but have had our dogs (in the past) come down with it. We used to have a beautiful Golden regriever who would swim in the canal where we used to live (looooog time ago), and the pine trees bordering were always where he got them. We had to inspect him daily to keep them off, even with treatments for ticks. Our vet let us keep a supply of "Bactrim" on hand just for him. (Or maybe it was "Bactrin"...it was so long ago, I don't recall the exact spelling.) It's an oral antibiotic tablet. One a day, along with COLD WATER bath, daily, to help invigorate blood flow. That would always help fight the "tick drunk" after he came out of the paralysis.

Plus, Dial Soap or Ivory Dish Detergent to bath with...I'm not sure if they carry those brands in Australia...but, usually somthing with "Detergent" helps best, for the skin irritation from the bites. To help reduce the itching. Or something "Oatmeal" based, would be even better.

Gosh, I hope she'll be ok for you. Holding in prayers for her. {{{HUGS}}}

 

[sammyelle]

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions they have been really helpful

:

I have been massaging her legs and body every few hours and she has improved quite a lot this morning, she is more alert and sitting up on her sternum instead of just laying out flat all the time. So I am definatly more hopeful that she will pull through.

Thanks again

:

 

[Mercysmom]

I hope your filly is better - only had experience with Lyme disease in one of my dogs prior to the vaccine (not sure if you get that disease in Australia)...we were visiting family in CT and our Lab ran through the woods and when he got home to NY and rolled over for a belly rub, he had the classic "bulls-eye" rash that people bit by deer ticks get.

Our vet was baffled on how to treat it so she followed what my own doc did for me when I was bit by one of the little critters (not much bigger than a sesame seed) - we did a titer - it was elevated and she researched the proper antibiotic to use.

Luckily here we have a vaccine for Lyme disease for dogs.

Good luck with your filly, keep us posted and you both will be in my thoughts.

Denise

Silversong Farm

 

[runaway ranch]

So glad to hear that she is doing better, it is so scary when our horses get sick. Blessings.