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  Discussion on Lawsonia intracellularis and Weight Loss
Author Message
New Member:
Bandit

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 11, 2003 - 9:46 am:

Need Help. I have a filly who at 4 months started losing weight. Still on mom, eating grain and on pasture. Suddenly within a week, went to pot bellied rough coat severe weight(18 lbs) and muscle loss, small bout of colic, ribs, backbone, tailbone prominent, eyes sunk in, depression. Quit eating, nibble at grain but still nursed. No teeth grinding, salivating, stools cow patty. This filly is wormed every month and have seen nothing.
Had vet out and did blood work. low hemaglobin, high WBC low MCH, MCV, high neutrophils and some immature cells (anisocytosis). Albumin low, bilirubin (total) low, calcium low, phosphorus high. diagnosed with ulcers, put on ulcer reduction paste 10 gm 1 x day, sulcrafate 2 3 x day, zantac 300mg 2 x day. After one month, filly was feeling much better, had picked up the 23 pounds she had lost plus more. still pot belly and rough coat but muscle was coming back, backbone, tail bone not protruding. Had new blood work and it is all over the board. WBC is normal, no immature cells, now monocytes are high, neutrophils high but coming down, almost normal. MCV, hemoglobin, hematocrit, albumin, protein, getting lower. alkaline phosphatase went from normal to 1/3 higher. Vet stumped, Sent off bloodwork to equine center. They came back with Lawsonia intracellularis as probable cause. Wanted bloodwork for serology and fecal for PCR. Can find no lab that will do blood test. Plenty can do PCR. I have searched and searched and can find reference to a blood test but can find no lab to do it. Does anyone know of one? Has anyone else experienced this and know how this is transmitted? From what I have read, this was first identified in pigs and now can be found in horses, dogs, goats, deer. Canada and also Kentuckyhave had outbreaks of this in equines. It looks like this is an emerging problem so watch out when your animals are diagnosed with ulcers. Is it a bacteria in the soil? I don't have horses coming in and most of what I have don't leave unless sold. Does the proposed treatment, erythromycin estolate for a minimum of 21 days kill or just control the bacteria? If I do have this, how do I disinfect or kill this in the field this filly was in? What is potential for her mother getting this? What is long term effect on filly potential health as far as being prone to colic, stunted growth, etc.? One other thing that really nags me is that this filly also had severe diarhea during foal heat and had to have a plasma transfer. She did fine and had been doing well until the drastic weight loss.
Right now basically waiting on PCR results to come back. She has been taken off ulcer meds except for Zantac for one more week.
Oh, and to top this off, went out to the barn yesterday and she had somehow managed to rip her upper lip so another vet visit for stitches and is now on SMZ for 5 days.
Appreciate any feedback
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 11, 2003 - 10:21 am:

Sorry-I have no experience or feedback with this, but sure will be following your thread to learn about this.

I just wanted to wish you luck with her. Sometimes these "rough start" babies turn out to be the best when the finally overcome their problems and grow up. Hang in there!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 12, 2003 - 8:07 am:

Lawsonia intracellularis is an obligate intracellular organism that causes proliferative enteropathy, a widespread infectious disease in pigs and just has begun to be recognized in the horse. Very little is known about the immune response and the epidemiologic features of the disease in the field. I would contact the large vet lab in Aimes Iowa about running serology. I will see if we can get an article up on this emerging disease of horses this week.
DrO
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 12, 2003 - 11:55 am:

Fran, I got started on this article this morn and it just took off, you will find it at, Equine Diseases » Colic and GI Diseases » Weight Loss in Horses » Lawsonia intracellularis & Proliferative Enteropathy. Hope this helps.
DrO
Member:
Bandit

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 12, 2003 - 3:10 pm:

Thanks Dr O. Got hold of the head of the vetlab in Aimes Iowa and they do not do the serology test. He theorized that the reason there doesn't seem to be a test is that there haven't been enough cases in horses to validate how good a diagnostic tool the test is for horses. He referred me to the University of Wisconsin which doesn't do the test either. I am still waiting for our equine center, Morven Park, to tell us where the blood work is to be sent since they are the ones who said to pull it. Thanks for all the information and the articles. The filly is doing good, muscle tone continues to improve along with appetite, energy levels and weight gain. Still waiting results of PCR.
Member:
Traveler

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 12, 2003 - 3:19 pm:

Hi,
Have you tried the University of California at Davis, CA. They have a top notch Vet school and seem to do many things that the other schools do not. Can't hurt to try.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Nov 13, 2003 - 7:21 am:

Fran, in the scientific section of the article there is a good case report from Canada where serology was used. Your vet should be able to track this person down through the AAEP membership list. I have an email address but I do not know if it is current,
Jean-Pierre.Lavoie@umontreal.ca.
He obviously knows where to run the test.
DrO
Member:
Bandit

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 3, 2003 - 9:04 pm:

Just an update and thanks to all for your suggestions. I finally received the results of the PCR and it was negative. From the way this filly has turned around, I felt that it would be but it is a relief to know for sure (although they can have false negatives). The filly has gained 150 pounds in 2 months and looks and feels great. Coat is good, no pot belly, muscle has come back and she is eating well. Still have no idea what happened and hope that it doesn't occur again. Mr Lavoie is still at the University of Montreal, I was holding off on the serology until the PCR result.
New Member:
Cecilial

Posted on Saturday, Feb 5, 2005 - 9:31 pm:

does Lawsonia intercellularis affect only foals? If all other possibilities have been ruled out, can it hurt to give a mare who is down to 750 lb the 21 day regime of erthromycin to see what happens? Nothing else has helped. She is a rescue mare and we can't afford much more in the way of diagnostic bills!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Feb 6, 2005 - 9:28 am:

You will find answers to your questions and more at, Equine Diseases » Colic and GI Diseases » Weight Loss in Horses » Lawsonia intracellularis & Proliferative Enteropathy. You should also see:
  • Equine Diseases » Colic and GI Diseases » Weight Loss in Horses » Overview of Chronic Weight Loss
  • Care for Horses » Nutrition » Rehabilitating Malnourished Horses

DrO

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