IS IT LYME? New Comprehensive Equine Lyme Disease Evaluation Package

By: Louisa Shepard [April 21, 2015; Kennett Square, PA] – Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center now offers a Comprehensive Equine Lyme Disease Evaluation package designed to find the answer to an often complex diagnostic puzzle. Board-certified specialists in internal medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, and sports medicine work as a team to find the answer to the vexing question: Is it Lyme?

The tick-borne infection is endemic in the Mid-Atlantic region, where up to 90% of horses show evidence of exposure. The vast majority of exposed horses do not develop clinical signs of disease.

However, some infected horses will develop central nervous system, orthopedic, or ophthalmic infections. Clinical signs include lameness, arthritis, joint swelling, muscle soreness, gait abnormalities, neck stiffness, weight loss, behavioral changes, uveitis, seizures, difficulty eating, heart rhythm abnormalities, difficulty breathing, and collapse.

Differentiating the horses that have been exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease, but whose clinical signs can be attributed to a non-infectious disease, is a challenge. A simple blood test can show evidence of exposure, but often it cannot give a definitive diagnosis.

“Our Lyme disease evaluation package is designed for horses that need the highest level of diagnostic certainty,” said Dr. Rose Nolen-Walston, Assistant Professor of Large Animal Internal Medicine at New Bolton Center.

The package, which costs $1,200, includes neurologic, lameness, ophthalmic, upper airway, and other examinations by New Bolton Center’s board-certified specialists. For additional details, click here.

About Penn Vet

Penn Vet is a global leader in veterinary medicine education, research, and clinical care. Founded in 1884, Penn Vet is the only veterinary school developed in association with a medical school. The school is a proud member of the One Health Initiative, linking human, animal, and environmental health.

Penn Vet serves a diverse population of animals at its two campuses, which include extensive diagnostic and research laboratories. New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large-animal hospital on nearly 700 acres in rural Kennett Square, PA, cares for horses and livestock/farm animals. The hospital handles more than 4,000 patient visits a year, while the Field Service treats nearly 36,000 patients at local farms. In addition, New Bolton Center’s campus includes a swine center, working dairy, and poultry unit that provide valuable research for the agriculture industry. Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia provides care for dogs, cats, and other domestic/companion animals, handling more than 31,000 patient visits a year.

For more information, visit www.vet.upenn.edu.