Need EPM meds and Treatments help

wgc517 · Postby **wgc517** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:58 pm

Can someone give me some thoughts on the best EPM meds and treatments and their approximate cost. Also if you know a place ot get it cheaper can you list it.

thank you.

Jenny · Postby **Jenny** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:36 pm

I had one who got EPM as a yearling. My vet put him on some light green med(liquid) and I would just put it in his feed. It was 6 weeks of hell. but he recovered just fine. Everyday. I would think when I went to see him in the morning he was dead. Passed out in his stall , lifeless. But he is doing great now. It was some sort of sulfa mixture. It was not the expensive meds. It was about $80.00 a bottle and I would last about 2 weeks. I know there is a much more expensive one out there and it is $1200 for a month!! :shock:

My vet said try the cheaper med first, and if we do not see an improvement in the first week we would have to get the expensive one. We did not have to thank the Lord!! Sorry I can't remember the names, it was quite a while ago.
Hopefully someone on the board can give you more info. You have to start treatment as fast as possible. So don't waste time trying to find it somewhere else to save a couple of bucks, or your horse could be in serious trouble!! Good luck.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:30 am

I get, through a vet, a compounded EPM med from Wycliff, for about $80 a bottle. It is a sulfadiazine compound, and they have added folic acid since the EPM meds act to block folic acid and you can end up with a deeper problem.

A bottle is a 28 day deal. I was also reading recently that research has concluded that one of the ONLY vitamins that will make it actually into brain tissue is vitamin E and vitamin E will assist in rebuilding neural pathways (I guess that's why fish is brain food). So you could try the cheap med with a vitamin E supplement. The 28 day treatment will usually wipe out the parasites, but the horse can take 3 months or more to recover strength, balance, etc. And some just can't no matter what. Good luck!!

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:18 am

Marquis

MareMc56 · Postby **MareMc56** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 7:10 pm

I replied to your PM.

mary syers · Postby **mary syers** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:22 am

Anybody have any success with any of these treatments? I have a young friend witha TB/Arab cross. Spent $3000. on Marquis and then Navigator. He got better and then he didn't. They tried a third compounded sulfa. They tried oxytetracyline, high dose for 5 days. They tried arsenic IV. Still doesn't know where his back feet are and not really ridable. They vet said they caught the disease very early. They used a university vet school for treatment. Still bad results. And yesterday I say the worst neurological horse I've ever seen. Still walking, but dangerous to walk next to and he's only had it for a few months at best. The owner gave him to a friend ofmine who is going to try to treat him. What's the actual success rate out there? Mary

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:07 am

Actually, I had GREAT results with a broodmare with the Wycliff compound I mentioned earlier in this thread. If the EPM meds have NO effect, it might be time to x-ray the neck and spine and look at other causes.

mary syers · Postby **mary syers** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:11 am

Diagnosed by spinal tap, and the horse was normal two weeks earlier. Also had anti-EPM anti-body positive. He also has a lower eye cataract--typical of post EPM. Mary