EPM
I got in a new, fabulously bred, broodmare who shall remain nameless; the day I picked her up the vet happened by. She had resorbed the prior year so, being the deal was not "done" I figured vetting couldn't hurt.
I got her late in the season, in heat, and got her in foal on one cover. Now the challenge was to get her to carry the foal.
Needless to say she flunked the tail test. To anyone familiar with EPM, a spinal tap to secure diagnosis is $$$$.
So, being the kind of place we are, I got 4 bottles of ReBalance @ $75.
Rationale: If you treat what you think it is, and the horse responds, well you got it.
First four days on ReBalance, my lovely mare turned into a drunken sailor, leaning on the walls for support. She had learned how to live with the parasite, now she had to learn to live without it. We ended up skipping two days of meds because I was afraid she would break her head, even tho we put her in a padded, deeply bedded stall as recommended on the internet.
Will keep you all posted as this progresses... she is now much sicker than when I picked her up...
A Real Story
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster, madelyn
A Real Story
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
Madelyn...UC Davis has a newly developed a blood test that detect's EPM. You don't have to rely on the tail test or go through the spinal tap.
Jackie Dube, a barrelracer and NFR qualifier, has a gelding that she run who has EPM. They would treat him, he would get better and she'd take him back on the road. Then he would slowly start getting slower. Treat him again, lay him off, come back good, slowly get slower. This went on for 18 month's. Jackie noticed that Rooster was having vision problem's. She was on the west coast and took him to the equine optomoligst at UC Davis. EPM has damaged the optic nerve in his eye and there is nothing they can do for his vision. They also did the EPM blood test, and Rooster tested 75% for the parasite. The usual treatment for EPM is one month of medication. Her vet's at Texas A&M, UC Davis recommended giving Rooster a double dose of medication for 28 day's. I don't know if this regime has knocked out the EPM.
Rooster was retired to her parent's ranch in Giddings, Tx. this spring. Jackie did not retire Rooster because of his vision, there are quite a few very good barrel horses competing who have lost their vision in an eye. Rather, I think she has retired him because he has given her a lot of good year's, won her a lot of money, took her to Las Vegas a couple of times and perhap's he can kick the EPM with rest and medication.
Jackie Dube, a barrelracer and NFR qualifier, has a gelding that she run who has EPM. They would treat him, he would get better and she'd take him back on the road. Then he would slowly start getting slower. Treat him again, lay him off, come back good, slowly get slower. This went on for 18 month's. Jackie noticed that Rooster was having vision problem's. She was on the west coast and took him to the equine optomoligst at UC Davis. EPM has damaged the optic nerve in his eye and there is nothing they can do for his vision. They also did the EPM blood test, and Rooster tested 75% for the parasite. The usual treatment for EPM is one month of medication. Her vet's at Texas A&M, UC Davis recommended giving Rooster a double dose of medication for 28 day's. I don't know if this regime has knocked out the EPM.
Rooster was retired to her parent's ranch in Giddings, Tx. this spring. Jackie did not retire Rooster because of his vision, there are quite a few very good barrel horses competing who have lost their vision in an eye. Rather, I think she has retired him because he has given her a lot of good year's, won her a lot of money, took her to Las Vegas a couple of times and perhap's he can kick the EPM with rest and medication.
Laissez les bon temps rouller!