Re: [Lyme-aid] New Strategy to Heighten Awareness

[Guest guest]

WOW chris i think that is a great ideal i friend of the family is a

veternarian and my brother works with him will mention it to him to see what

he thinks about it all

cindy in mich

Re: [Lyme-aid] New Strategy to Heighten Awareness

> Hi All,

>

> Would love to have feedback on this idea...

>

> What do you all think about contacting vets (those local to each of us) to

> inform them of a university facility in their area (assuming 1 exists - I

> know several are doing these tests) where they can send ticks which they

> remove from clients' pets? Seems unbelieveable to me that they just

" flush "

> them - VERY irresponsible...

>

> I know there is a research doc at Loyola in Chicago area doing " tick

> research " & a facility at Ames, IA (although, this may be somehow linked

to

> the Plum-like facility located there)...

>

> If we could get vets to do this (don't even think there is a charge to

send

> in ticks, although, when engorged - how would they ship them? ICK!), it

> would have to heighten awareness, don't you think?

>

> Blessings & velcros,

>

> Chris

>

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[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Would love to have feedback on this idea...

What do you all think about contacting vets (those local to each of us) to

inform them of a university facility in their area (assuming 1 exists - I

know several are doing these tests) where they can send ticks which they

remove from clients' pets? Seems unbelieveable to me that they just " flush "

them - VERY irresponsible...

I know there is a research doc at Loyola in Chicago area doing " tick

research " & a facility at Ames, IA (although, this may be somehow linked to

the Plum-like facility located there)...

If we could get vets to do this (don't even think there is a charge to send

in ticks, although, when engorged - how would they ship them? ICK!), it

would have to heighten awareness, don't you think?

Blessings & velcros,

Chris

[Guest guest]

Hi Chris

This is a great idea. We do that with the Michigan Lyme Disease

Association. I have several vets I work with that send us there ticks or

they are picked up. In the few years we have been doing this we have obtain

new vets every year that want to participate. Than I send them off for

testing. You also mentioned how vets will send them. I have them put them

in medicine bottles and send them to me. (My mail lady loves me) Anyway,

this has worked in Michigan and it would be great to see others doing the

same things.

Hugs

(MI)

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Thanks for the encouragement... It's just so frustrating to have all this

knowledge & want to warn others... (I'm sure you all know the feeling well!)

Where do you send the ticks? To a local university or...??? Is it as

difficult to get accurate testing / reporting on the actual ticks as it is

when testing humans / dogs? Do labs charge for testing ticks? If so, what is

the cost per test & do they also test for co-infections?

Thanks much again!

Blessings & velcros,

Chris

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 00-05-25 18:29:56 EDT, you write:

<< WOW chris i think that is a great ideal i friend of the family is a

veternarian and my brother works with him will mention it to him to see what

he thinks about it all

cindy in mich >>

Dear Cindi,

Thanks! (Lpurdy1040) in MI (Michigan Lyme Disease

Association) is doing this already in their area - having engorged ticks

mailed to her house & sending to lab. I'm sure vets will not want to pay lab

fees & I cannot assume that expenditure either... That's why I thought

universities doing research may be a possibility... (Don't know if you saw

's answer to my ? on this. Of course, I answered her answer with yet

more ?s... LOL!)

I am really hopeful that this can raise awareness of our plight - both on the

human & animal fronts! (Most vets just don't believe that lyme &

co-infections exist here in the Chicago suburbs... They all have a map of US

with IL in red (endemic area) - but this only goes as far as " vaccine

mentality " - they never test for it... One dog owner I know went along with

internist - payed for a couple of thousand dollars in tests, then when all

tests negative, the vet FINALLY AGREED (??????) to run lyme / co-infection

tests. This vet " was so angry... she did not speak to owner for over one

year. " Other vets learned of this & would not speak to her either. (She

seemed to me to be a very young, sweet tempered girl when I spoke to her...

So I doubt it was because of any " attitude " - as I might display (VBG!)...

ALL EGO!)

Anxiously awaiting more brainstorming on this issue...

Interesting note too - in " animal lyme world " - most vets believe 6-8 wks

abxs do the trick. If not (PCRs are repeated at 30-day intervals), then the

disease is usually considered " not responsive " to abxs. Pepi & I have been

trying to educate the folks on the " dog tick list " about this issue...

(Imizol is then given for babesia & ehrylichia - sometimes fatal, if not,

it's usually effective...)

Blessings & velcros,

Chris

Blessings & velcros,

Chris

[Guest guest]

chris i too think this is a great idea! But let me tell you about my

'lovely' little state. 1, most vets go that work here all graduated the same

school and truly think Lyme is a non-issue 2, it is an easy cure, but if it

is missed the dog's own immunity will fight it off I have a great vet

that I have taken all my animals too, large and small, for over 10 years, a

few months ago we talked about my personall lyme prob and he treated me like

a pariah! told me to my face that we do not have lyme here! And asked what I

was doing to get LD and HME, babs. Ruined my faith in this man. I had to

bring my LD dog to that school for treatment and I heard it first hand from

a student vet and the Dr about how 'easy' LD is to cure. I think I opened

their eyes a bit because that day was a very bad fog day, I had to write

everything down and really didnt understand much of what they said even

though I was a Vet Tech and an EMT at one time. Anyway, I sure hope you do

some good. and hope eyes start to open here, Pepi

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/25/00 3:35:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

Dobelovr1@... writes:

<< Where do you send the ticks? To a local university or...??? Is it as

difficult to get accurate testing / reporting on the actual ticks as it is

when testing humans / dogs? Do labs charge for testing ticks? If so, what

is

the cost per test & do they also test for co-infections?

>>

Hi Chris

We send our ticks out east to an entomologist who has been working

with our association for several years. We hired him to help us do a K-9

Study. To help us track the distribution of LD in Dogs in SE Michigan. The

study was a year long. That is how we got to know the vets so well.

Included in our cost of the study was identifying and testing ticks. Since

that time we have continued to send ticks in and there is no charge to us, at

least not yet. As far as the testing accuracy, I'm told it's pretty

accurate. He doesn't test dog ticks at this time, but we do keep them for

when we can test them. Since the vets don't have to pay any money out of

there pocket except an occasional 33cents to mail it in. It has worked

extremely well. I have also been checking on other places to send ticks so

that we can compare results from different places I have found prices ranging

from $30 -- $45. Since most of us our familiar with BBI clinical labs there

cost is $39.00 and as far as I know it's only to test for LD not

coinfections. Since you brought the point up, I need to call and ask about

co-infections. Hope this helped. Sorry to ramble.

Hugs

(MI)

[Guest guest]

Hi &

I am sitting here chuckling over sending Ticks in. might remember

this........

I was brand new to LD, getting sicker with it each day, but still was not

sure what was wrong. I was going to a Lyme Support group meeting and the

day before the meeting my cat came in from outside with these " things "

stuck on her face and ears. I did not see them. Rather, I felt them when I

began petting her and looked down wondering what the heck they were. I

thought they were little weed type pickers that she got in the field. Then

I recoiled in almost sheer terror. I went to get tweezers and a jar and

proceeded to pull these " things " off that I suspected were ticks. (Surfing

on computer verified this.) Then I called our support group leader and she

told me, " yes, yes. Put them in a container with a couple blades of grass.

Michigan Lyme Disease Association (MLDA) is sending them in for testing. "

I took them, maybe 13 or 14 into Lyme support group and we all were amazed

at them. One was pretty engorged. What makes me chuckle a little is I heard

back that on the way to the entomologist, via MLDA and probably 's

mail carrier, she had hundreds of babies. (Or was it thousands??) I was

amazed. I think the ticks did prove up to be the ones that can carry LD,

but I never heard back if any had B.b for sure. MLDA was at the time trying

to prove to the state officials that we had ticks in lower Michigan that

indeed carried the spirochete Borrelia.burgdorferi.

My cat is fine, so far.

Barb - MI

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

How are you? I was wondering about the ticks you send out for testing.

Are these ticks fresh, or ticks that have had a meal on someone or a dog?

Reason I ask is I heard that it is senseless to check a tick who has fed, as

he has already regurgitated his disease into the victim. I don't know if it

is true or not, but it makes a little sense.

Thanks,

Marta

From: LPurdy1040@... <LPurdy1040@...>

>

>Hi Chris

>

> We send our ticks out east to an entomologist who has been working

>with our association for several years. We hired him to help us do a K-9

>Study. To help us track the distribution of LD in Dogs in SE Michigan.

The

>study was a year long. That is how we got to know the vets so well.

>Included in our cost of the study was identifying and testing ticks. Since

>that time we have continued to send ticks in and there is no charge to us,

at

>least not yet. As far as the testing accuracy, I'm told it's pretty

>accurate. He doesn't test dog ticks at this time, but we do keep them for

>when we can test them. Since the vets don't have to pay any money out of

>there pocket except an occasional 33cents to mail it in. It has worked

>extremely well. I have also been checking on other places to send ticks so

>that we can compare results from different places I have found prices

ranging

>from $30 -- $45. Since most of us our familiar with BBI clinical labs

there

>cost is $39.00 and as far as I know it's only to test for LD not

>coinfections. Since you brought the point up, I need to call and ask about

>co-infections. Hope this helped. Sorry to ramble.

>

>Hugs

> (MI)

[Guest guest]

Hi Marta

Good question. We actually send in both, fed and not fed. As far

as what I've been told about the tick not having the bacteria after feeding,

they are still not sure if that is why those ticks test negative or not. I

do know that at this time we are still testing both, just in case. Hopefully

one day testing will be better.

Hugs (MI)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 00-05-25 21:25:57 EDT, you write:

<< When my sister got bitten, she had the tick, and none of the doctors in our

area knew what to do with it ... at that time she didn't know anything

about getting the tick test .. is it expensive, when it's for a person,

when it's one tick? does anyone know? we had another friend who recently

got bitten by a deer tick - no rash, no signs & symptoms nothing, but I

told him to have them test the tick, and they didn't know what he was

talking about .... any thoughts???

>>

Dear beth,

Not sure... Looking into this topic myself... Try emailing IgeneX Lab.

[Guest guest]

Dear Marta, & All,

VERY interesting!

- have you ever gotten a " positive " test result from an engorged tick?

Chris

In a message dated 00-05-27 21:49:44 EDT, you write:

<< Hi Marta

Good question. We actually send in both, fed and not fed. As far

as what I've been told about the tick not having the bacteria after feeding,

they are still not sure if that is why those ticks test negative or not. I

do know that at this time we are still testing both, just in case.

Hopefully

one day testing will be better.

Hugs (MI)

>>