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  Discussion on Fever with two ticks
Author Message
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Monday, Dec 26, 2016 - 7:45 pm:

I'm in Northern California, and my horse seemed off. She has been nowhere in about two months. Closest horse is her stablemate and neighbors who are probably a mile away. Too cold for flies. Her temp was 103.7, and I was able to find two ticks on her. Her temp went to 104.2. She was still eating and drinking. In the AM she was at 105.6. (Christmas Day). I spoke with UC Davis, and they suggested Banamine to see if I could get the fever down, and if she took a turn for the worse, I could bring her in. Fever DrOpped to 102.9, then slowly rose to 105.8 12 hours later, and we dosed her again with Banamine. In the AM she was 105.1. We gave her another dose of Banamine, but it wasn't working as well. She also was getting more clever about holding it in her mouth. I hosed her down, and she went to 104.6, and ultimately to 104.2. It never got below this. Then slowly it is rising again. She is now at 105.1 8 hours post Banamine dose. 4 more hours to go.

She is otherwise eating and drinking well. Excited about carrots. Poking around, looking for grass in the pasture. No edema. No stocking up in her legs. No congestion. No lameness other than looking a little stiff/off.

I'm assuming that she most likely has Ehrlichiosis.

I'm questioning whether or not it is better to let it run its course as long as she is eating/drinking and otherwise ok, or should I pursue a round of antibiotics.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Monday, Dec 26, 2016 - 7:52 pm:

The first day, Saturday, she lay down on our lawn - twice - and sat quietly. In 12 years, I have never seen this horse do this. For whatever reason, we rarely see her roll or lay down. So this was one of her symptoms. However, she did not lay down Sunday and today. She did seem stiffer to me on Saturday.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Monday, Dec 26, 2016 - 8:02 pm:

Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Monday, Dec 26, 2016 - 8:03 pm:

Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 27, 2016 - 12:51 am:

At 12 hours post last Banamine dose, 104.7. Checked it again in an hour. Down to 104. So I did NOT give her another Banamine dose tonight as it seems like it is on its way down on its own.
Member:
moxshi

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 27, 2016 - 8:31 am:

Laurie, so sorry you are having to deal with a sick horse at Christmas. I know that tick bites have created problems for me, but have no advice to give on your horse's condition . . . just sympathy, Hope she continues to get back to her good health.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 27, 2016 - 12:17 pm:

Thank you Holly. 104.4 this AM. I think we are now beyond the initial high fever spike over the first 3 days. She is bright, eating.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 27, 2016 - 3:05 pm:

Hello Laurie,
This is such a common problem with the horse that it has its own Disease section, you will a lot of information at HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Fever of Unknown Origin. The tick bite may or may not be a red herring.
DrO
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 27, 2016 - 11:34 pm:

Fever spiked again to 105.9, so vet pulled blood and gave her IV Oxytet. To be continued.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 28, 2016 - 7:53 am:

Though you must follow your vet's advice, a biphasic high fever as you describe is a common presentation for viral infections and explained in the article. I noted that I used the term diphasic and should read biphasic.
DrOI
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 28, 2016 - 12:40 pm:

Fever slowly came down last night to 105.1. I administered another dose of Banamine. Went to 102.6. Then to 100.5. This AM she is at 98.6. The reason that I was rejecting the viral path, was not just the discovery of the ticks, but that they are in a remote area, where there really are not any other horses around, and they haven't been anywhere in at least 2 months. Also, it has been very cold, so there are no flies.

So are there virus' that can travel long distances? Or remain perhaps dormant in the environment?
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 28, 2016 - 4:19 pm:

Initial review of blood indicated most likely the Ehrlichiosis. (She said that she would have the pathologist review the blood sample before sending out for the final analysis.) We are switching to Doxycyline for ease of administration.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Dec 30, 2016 - 8:09 am:

I have seen these viral episodes pop up out of nowhere and often wondered if they may not be recrudence of one of the many herpes viruses that affect horses. Please, let us know what the final outcome of the diagnostics is.
DrO
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Thursday, Feb 2, 2017 - 12:27 am:

Well, we finished the round of antibiotics, and her fever never returned. She has been healthy, bright and eating for a month. Last weekend I noticed swelling in her chest, on her low shoulder, and belly on one side behind her elbow. The swelling on her shoulder looked more like something that could be the result of a kick - Slightly raised about 1/2 inch, firm tissue about the size of the palm of your hand. The swelling behind the elbow was similar. The swelling on her chest was on both sides between her legs and was more fluid filled - more like edema but looser. I have had vets hit a vein with inoculations resulting in blood filled sacs. It was closer to this in consistency than an abscess. By Sunday the swellings were all resolving. By Monday evening they were gone. The swellings on the chest had some scales on the skin. We had changed fly repellents, and it had citronella. I wondered if she had a reaction to the fly repellent. Her temperature was normal all weekend.

My husband noticed the horse was off tonight. Took her temperature. She is running 103.1 fever. I have gone all over her, and can't find anything unusual. No lumps, bumps, lameness, ticks, etc.

I had an extended battle with pigeon fever with this horse and our other Friesian in 2012. My understanding is that you get about a 5 year immunity. So I have been watching for this. Please note that the last case started with ticks even though UC Davis said that ticks were not a carrier. https://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/4/406350.html She was the horse that got it in the udder.

The one thing that might be my imagination is that her chest seems larger. I was wondering if I could have an abscess under the muscle layers and was the reason for the swellings between the legs. I can't easily feel her chest bone. ...But this mare is a tank and plump. (I may have also looked at too many pictures of pigeon fever chests.)

Regardless, my biggest concern is that I have an internal abscess some where.

Does it make sense to have the vet draw blood and check for pigeon fever titres, blood cell counts and fibrinogen levels?
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Thursday, Feb 2, 2017 - 6:31 pm:

We used Banamine to bring the fever down to normal. Vet has drawn blood. She has pulled enough blood to check for multiple things. She is going to review the bloodwork tomorrow. We will most likely check for pigeon fever titres to rule it out.

Question: Can a horse get multiple versions of tick fever, or Lymes and/or Pigeon Fever from the same tick infection?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Feb 3, 2017 - 9:58 am:

Since these organisms can be transmitted by the same specie of tick yes it is possible though I think transmission of PF by ticks (as a fomite) seems like a very long shot.
DrO
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Friday, Feb 3, 2017 - 6:20 pm:

Fever came down after one dose of Banamine, and so far has stayed down. We aren't treating her with anything as long as the fever stays down. Waiting for results of blood work.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2017 - 11:37 pm:

Bloodwork positive for Anaplasmosis response. Lymes negative. Waiting on Pigeon Fever. Neither the vet or I really thought it was Pigeon Fever. I think after my grueling bout with it years ago, I just wanted to make sure.

So we aren't sure if the positive for Tick Fever was a result of the event over Christmas or something new. I did find an area that she didn't want touched that felt like a pimple. I don't know if she had gotten another tick that created a response, but she quickly threw it off?

Not sure what would cause a spike in fever of 105 a month after the first incident.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2017 - 9:32 am:

Any infection, particularly viral: high number and return to normal without antibiotics. Also possible is a second exposure to Anaplasmosis with a remarkable immune response.

Concerning the positive Anaplasmosis blood test response, what test was used, when was the sample taken, and what were the results including reference range?
DrO
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2017 - 2:10 pm:

I believe they used a canine test that the IDEXX person said would work. It tested for both Anaplasma and Lymes. It was just done, 2/3/17. So a little over a month from the original infection over Christmas. The serology test just indicates positive for Anaplasma.

The other symptom that was just prior to the second fever spike was all of the swellings under her chest, one on her shoulder, and another on her belly behind her elbow. All through this there has been no sign of upper respiratory illness.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2017 - 4:52 pm:

Pigeon Fever Titer came back at 32.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 14, 2017 - 10:41 am:

The SNAP 4 Idexx test would be positive for exposure (the presence of antibodies) but not necessarily infection. In dogs those positives can last for years following exposure but I do not know of any work in horses. What does your lab say about the 32 (is that 1 : 32) or are there units with this. DrO
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2017 - 3:28 pm:

Over 8 is exposure, but remember, she had pigeon fever about 5 years ago. My vet was interpreting it as a negative. I think I read where the titer test can register exposure for years after an infection?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 1, 2017 - 9:30 am:

Are we talking about the synergistic hemolysis inhibition (SHI) test? The numbers you give don't seem right. Yes titers persist as they slowly go down but I don't find any particular time frames. The lab may have more information on this.
DrO
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