Lyme's Disease In Horses

Lyme's disease is unfortunately a common condition affecting not only horses and pets, but also a major health problem for people.  The disease is actually associated with a type of bacteria or spirochete, Borrellia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by either the deer tick, the blacklegged tick or the sheep tick, when feeding on the host.  The ticks are very small in size and often go undetected, but rates of infection can often times be very high dependent on geography with the northeast United States being the highest region.  The highest rates of infection generally occur from May to July due to the ticks being more active during this time. The rates of infection actually correlate with deer populations as the white tailed deer are the host for the adult stages of the tick.

Clinical Signs:
Clinical signs of Lyme's disease vary and often involve multiple organ systems and can be general in nature.  In humans, often there is a skin rash which develops then progresses to joint involvement, muscular pain and further progression.  In horses, clinical signs can range from non-specific lameness, muscle pain, fever, overall lethargy, laminitis, joint pain and swelling as well as other clinical problems.  Meningitis is also a potential outcome in all cases as the parasite can enter the central nervous system in some instances.

Borrelia burgdorferi strongly activates an inflammatory response in the host by triggering many type of cells involved in the immune response.  This activation leads to the release of many pro-inflammatory proteins (TNF, Interleukins) which contribute to ongoing pain, stiffness, myalgia as well as tissue deterioration, such as in joints.

Diagnosis:
The diagnosis of Lyme's disease can be difficult in some instances.  In humans, the skin rash is generally readily apparent and aids in the diagnosis, but is not commonly obvious in animals. In most instances, general blood work is performed to rule out other likely conditions as well as a performing antibody titers for Lyme's.  Often, when the disease is active, there will be a significant rise in antibody levels when performing paired serum titers 1-2 weeks apart.  In other instances, serum levels may just be persistently elevated in chronic cases.  Response to treatment is also commonly used as current diagnostics may prove uncertain or definitive. 

Treatment:
Treatment of Lyme's disease generally involves the use of tetracycline based antibiotics, twice daily, intravenously or orally for extended periods.  Response to the antibiotics can be very rapid in some cases, while in some it may result in slight worsening of clinical signs while the parasite is being killed off.  In other cases, the response to the antibiotics may be marginal or only partial, with relapses in the future.  It is difficult to determine the actual response rate to antibiotics but they are almost always used as a line of primary treatment.

Outcome and Persistence of Disease:
Lyme's disease is increasing in prevalence in humans as well as animals, likely due to uncontrolled deer populations and exposure.  Treatment of Lyme's disease often is disappointing and infections may persist for months to years, leading to prolonged pain and clinical problems for the patient.  The lack of complete response to antibiotics suggests that the spirochete has a way of hiding or evading antibiotic exposure or by evading the immune response.  Borrelia burgdorferi has been known to have many stages of development within the host, with some stages more susceptible to antibiotics than others.  B. burgdorferi can also actually invade various cells intracellularly, which allows them to directly evade immune detection as well and be protected in a sense.  Through these methods, B. burgdorferi can continue to cause clinical problems through activation of pro-inflammatory proteins for years.  Vaccines are not available at this time, but some have been developed with promising results.  The best method of reducing the incidence is by reducing the deer population as well as protecting yourself, your horses and pets from tick exposure by using repellents.

Options for Therapy:
We have had several horses with diagnosed Lyme's disease with elevated serum titers respond very well to our Cur-OST line of products.  The majority of these horses not only demonstrated a reduction in serum antibody titers over 3-4 months but also dramatically improved clinically with reduced lameness, lethargy and overall enhancement of life quality.  Most of these horses were currently or had been treated with tetracycline antibiotics.  We need more targeted therapy to support health and help the host defenses.

In most instances, we have used a combination of products, EQ Plus GTF and our EQ Immune & Repair formula.  The theory in use of these formulas is to approach and direct our attention at the inflammatory response, reducing inflammatory proteins at a cellular level as well as providing potent antioxidants to combat oxidative stress.  By managing these factors, we can improve the patient clinically as well as potentially reduce cellular damage inflicted by constant inflammation and free radicals.  Pain is reduced, fever is reduced and health is restored in less than 30 days in most reports.  The EQ Immune & Repair formula provides potent levels of concentrated mushroom beta-glucans which help to modulate the immune response, in theory reducing an overactive immune response or enhancing an underactive one.  This formula also provides essential amino acids such as L-glutamine which are needed to improve intra-cellular antioxidant levels of glutathione.  

The recoveries reported by our customers as well as seen in some of our patients can be remarkable with reduction of antibody titers and restoration of performance.  Nothing is 100%, but in cases of Lyme's disease that are non-responsive to antibiotics or those that have relapses, it is essential to try a new approach!   

Options are available for Lyme's disease support and management.  Do not give up on these patients as they can be restored in many instances.

All our best,

Tom Schell, D.V.M.
Nouvelle Research, Inc.
www.curost.com 

Cancer Prevention & Health

It seems that for the past several years, you can't turn on the TV or even talk to a small group of friends without the mention of the word "CANCER".  Either there is someone close that you know with cancer or they are making new discoveries regarding the pathology and process of the disease.  It is everywhere, it seems, but there are several noteworthy things one can do to prevent or lower the risk of disease.

The whole goal of the field of medicine should be aimed at disease prevention, but unfortunately, most of the time is dedicated to disease management.  I feel at times, even as a veterinarian, that if we spent more time with younger patients focusing on good life habits, we would reduce the incidence of disease.  This is not done for several reasons, time being one of them, but also we have to keep in mind that profits are not as good for disease prevention as they are for disease management.  Cancer is a huge, profit driven force that often times does not take the best interest of the patients into consideration.  This is true whether if we are talking about people or animals. 

Cancer is a complicated topic, but one has to look much deeper than the obvious problem at hand to find similarities and areas of possible intervention.  One major area of focus for the past decade has been the connection between ongoing inflammation, cellular changes, immune dysfunction and cancer development.  I have talked many times before about inflammation from the perspective of joint dysfunction and pain, but the scope of the problem goes beyond this topic.  We have to keep in mind the concept of cellular function and mitochondrial health, which has been discussed before. 

What it is....
Cancer at its essential basics is cellular dysfunction.  It is a mutation to some degree that leads to abnormal cellular function which may include changes as to how the cell replicates and dies.  In most instances, the cells are altered to the point where they no longer are subject to normal cell death, which allows them increased ability to further mutate, divide and create offspring with their new abilities.  Pretty soon, if allowed, these altered cells begin to become the majority instead of the minority, leading to organ malfunction and even tumor development.  In many instances, cancer is slow to develop and actually can be present for years before being diagnosed or discovered. 

Players in the Game . . .
There are many contributors to cancer development including; genetics, lifestyle, environmental influences and ultimately diet.  In Chinese Medical cultures, emotions are often linked to disease and cancer development, due to changes in the movement of energy throughout the body.  This energy can accumulate and cause tumors or the energy can be depleted, which impacts cellular function.  A study performed many years ago through interviewing human cancer patients actually made the direct link between cancer and emotions.  They found that a high percentage of cancer patients reported a major emotional event within the 10 years preceding their diagnosis. Emotions play a major role in our life and fall into the Lifestyle influences in my book.  Think of stress in our jobs or our lives in general and the impact on our health.  Genetics of course also play a major role, which can impact cellular function from a mechanical point of view. Lifestyle factors can include emotions as well as daily activities that we may partake in that impact our health such as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption.  Environmental influences include toxin exposure from our environment or even our diet.  Dietary factors speak for themselves.  Ultimately, we are what we eat and either you aid in disease prevention or provide fuel to speed the process.

What to do??
Many of these factors are under our control, while many are not. The first thing that I did personally, as a cancer patient, was modify my stress levels and increase my exercise.  Work related stress, to me, was a huge factor in my disease course and something that could be changed.  It was not easy and ultimately led to my change in career focus, but it needed to be done.  In some instances, we can decrease our exposure to toxins, while in others we cannot.  Lifestyle and diet are controllable on most levels.  Genetics factors are difficult to get around, but the outcomes can be potentially modified.  The bottom line is that we have a choice, each and every one of us.  The question is whether or not if you make those changes?  It is not an easy step, but being proactive and seeing things from a prevention standpoint, can make all of the difference.  There are no guarantees in life, but I do feel that people that make changes live a longer and healthier life.

Aside from lifestyle, diet and environmental changes...here are my key nutrients to health maintenance.  Many of these nutrients impact cellular health or down regulate inflammatory pathways that contribute to a host of clinical diseases.

• Curcumin (solid research on cancer prevention and disease management)
• CoQ10  
• Medicinal Mushrooms
• Vitamin D3
• Alpha Lipoic Acid
• Green Tea 
• Blueberries, Noni and Bilberry Fruit extracts
• Amino Acids (glutamine, arginine and Pea protein base)

We have to remember that 'Disease' by definition is the absence of health.  Considering this, it is possible from my perspective to control or reduce many clinical diseases, cancer included, by maintaining a high level of health.  Cancer is not a contagious disease and therefore not something we 'caught' from another individual.  It is self induced, from my perspective, and there fore can be controlled or better managed by seeking health.  

Each of us only has one life.  We can choose to be a victim or we can choose to be proactive. I choose the proactive route!

All my best,

Tom Schell, D.V.M. 
www.curost.com
 

Impact of Exercise on Health

Exercise is something that we are all told to increase in our daily lives, but unfortunately, many equate this to a 45 minute, hard core workout performed in a gym on a daily basis.  Although this is true, it is not true in all situations.  Exercise can be walking, working in the yard, working in the barn, doing house chores...the list goes on.  In terms of horses, exercise can be a long turn out with running in the pasture, routine daily training as well as a hard run at a jumper course.  It is good for us and them, as it improves cellular function and oxygen metabolism, but also helps to strengthen muscle, improve circulation, burn calories and just improve overall health. But there is a bad side...

The thing about exercise is that people tend to forget that it is not beneficial at all levels.  With exercise, we force our cells to go to levels potentially that they have never been before, making demands on them to produce energy and function beyond capacity in some cases.  Although this is not the norm, we do need to realize that there is always some bad with the good.  I recall years ago when studying herbal medicine with a Chinese practitioner, we were discussing overall energetic balances in humans.  He had commented that some of the most "unbalanced" individuals in his practice were hard core athletes and bodybuilders.  I questioned why, but the answer became clear to me in the essence of "too much of a good thing is a bad thing" or "everything in moderation".  

With increased demands on our body, or exertion, our cells need to produce energy in the form of ATP.  In order to produce this energy, they must have fuel or substrates themselves, generally in the form of sugar and oxygen.  During the process of energy production, free radicals are generated as part of normal course.  These free radicals then, if allowed to accumulate, can cause damage or hinder the cells in their performance.  If oxygen is not available for the cells to utilize for fuel or is depleted from the tissue, we then switch to anaerobic respiration, which then can result in lactic acid production and muscle fatigue.  We have all experienced this when pushing our bodies to the limit, whether if that is on the treadmill or on the city streets running.  The burn we feel in our thighs is a result of lactic acid buildup and a sign of tissue oxygen depletion and free radical accumulation.  Oxygen depletion and cellular malfunction as a result of overexertion is also the cause of acute heart attacks in many individuals as well as strongly linked to acute or catastrophic breakdowns in horses during training. This cellular malfunction is also a direct cause of injury, fatigue and joint degeneration.

So, here is the thing through my eyes.  If we take all of this into consideration, we then are able to see the possible negative impacts on health.  One can push the limits to the max in themselves as well as their horses, expecting output from the body that was never intended.  If we continue to push and push, even in what is perceived light training, injury can occur and will occur...it is just a matter of time.  That injury is a result of cellular damage, oxygen depletion and free radical formation/inflammation.  These three things weaken the cell, whether if it is a cardiac cell, muscle cell or tendon cell.  This weakness then predisposes to injury in the long term.  So, let's take what we know and apply it to see if we can change the course of events.

Let's take for instance of horse in light training that injures his suspensory ligament or deep flexor tendon.  Taking what we know, we now realize that the tendon itself was likely weakened due to pushing those cells beyond their limits with free radical production and cellular damage.  In most of these cases, the prescribed treatment is rest (which is great) along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (which is also not a bad thing in the short term).  The horses are usually put on stall rest with no exercise or even limited walking for months with the usual recovery in 6-12 months.  Now, take into consideration that a high percentage of these horses rarely even return to the same level due to persistent tendon/ligament associated lameness.  The same statement often holds true for humans with damaged cruciate ligaments or other joint injuries. If we apply what we know, we should be asking, "what can one do to prevent or minimize that cellular damage to begin with or what can I do to aid in cellular repair after the injury has occurred?"

First, we need to combat oxidative stress through the use of not just one antioxidant but ideally a synergistic blend that help to neutralize free radicals at all stages of energy production.  Using one antioxidant is not ideal as that single nutrient can then become a free radical itself in the end and cause more harm than good.  In many cases, some nutrients, such as CoQ10 and Lipoic Acid are not only antioxidants but are directly connected with improvement in energy production.  Other nutrients such as amino acids Glutamine, Arginine, Carnitine and even Creatine all contribute to increased intracellular antioxidant levels and improve cellular energy production.

Second, we need to combat the inflammatory process that is being triggered as a result of excess free radical production and other environmental/dietary factors.  This inflammation is directly connected with cellular damage, changes in blood flow and overall poor health/performance.  This inflammation occurs on multiple levels and thus is best to conquer on as many levels as possible.  Herbs such as Curcumin, Boswellia, Ashwaghanda and many others strongly down regulate the inflammatory process as well as act as secondary antioxidants themselves. They help to combat inflammation naturally and without side effects by helping to return inflammatory protein levels to normal versus completely inhibiting them as in the case of many NSAID medications.  These inflammatory proteins are needed and necessary, but just not at elevated levels.

Third, we need to supply basic nutrients to help aid in tissue repair and regeneration.  One cannot expect to lift weights with the intention of building muscle if they do not provide the necessary nutrients for those cells to grow and multiply.  You must provide nutrients such as protein, b-vitamins and many different minerals.  Pea protein, spirulina and various mushrooms are my favorite sources of natural nutrients to aid in cellular energy production, repair and regeneration.  Protein and nutrient depletion is a major problem in today's society either as a result of shear depletion (not providing enough to meet added demands) or due to excessive consumption of an 'empty calorie' diet with no nutrient benefit.  We all need to up our protein intake for several reasons and there are many supplemental choices.

Whey protein is one of the most common sources of protein used by serious athletes, but unfortunately a high percentage of humans are allergic to dairy products on many levels.  Some don't even realize that they are allergic, but just tolerate the increased gas, bloating and discomfort after consuming dairy products, not realizing the connection.  This intolerance actually contributes to inflammation that is occurring in the gut, which then manifests systemically in many forms such as skin or respiratory allergies.  Pea protein is part of a few new Cur-OST products that we are offering for both humans and horses.  Peas are in the legume family, related to alfalfa, and provide a high level of protein with a similar amino acid profile to whey.  The difference is that pea protein is more digestible and as a result, we are able to extract more nutrients and reduce ongoing inflammation within the gut.  This equates to an improved overall performance not only for us but our equine athletes as well!

Going back to our analogy of the horse with a tendon injury, we can now hopefully see that there is much we can to to prevent and manage these conditions with improved outcomes all around.  By using our Cur-OST products, we can manage the inflammatory process, provide antioxidant support as well as nutrients to aid in repair/regeneration.  If these three conditions were met initially, in many cases the injuries would be much less likely to happen and if they did, addressing these three conditions usually results in a much better and quicker recovery.  By addressing these three issues adequately, we not only reduce the rate of injury, but we enhance performance on all levels as well as fatigue.

Athletics is a big part of our family and as a result we spend a great deal of time at tennis tournaments for our son.  It is amazing to me to see some of these kids with potentially career ending injuries as a result of the demands that they place on their bodies at such a young age.  I often wonder if they are 'feeding' their cells properly and protecting them against injury, then I get my answer when I see these same kids eating fast food during match breaks.  Their parents then continue to feed them soft drinks and sport drinks, thinking that this in some way will help them.  One in particular had a severe back injury which almost sidelined their career.  After some coaxing to this young adult, they recovered after some guidance and support as well as use of our Ultimate Human formula.  Their recovery was swift and strong.  Their endurance improved 50%, match success skyrocketed and people were left wondering how this player recovered. 

We see it and experience it all of the time. Whether if it is us or one of our horses in training, fatigue is a huge factor as well as injury.  The good news is that this fatigue and injury should be perceived as a sign that something is not right, not just and inconvenience.  The proper fuel and recovery substances are not there, which then opens the door for problems. 

In the end, you do have a choice whether if it is for yourself or your horse athlete.  You can choose to continue down the same road with the same results or worse OR you can make a conscious choice to understand what it going on and supply what is needed to enhance health. We shouldn't have to be dependent on pharmaceuticals to get us through the day or for our horse to get through that event.  There is so much more that can be done to aid in success and improve outcomes. If you want to run faster, play harder,have more energy or just be less stiff post working in the yard...you have options.  If you want your horse to run faster, jump higher or have more stamina...you have options.  You must supply the nutrients and protective factors needed for cellular health. The choice is yours and our job is to be here to guide and support you!

Yours in health,

Tom Schell, D.V.M.