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I had a gelding (5), that was recently returned to me because it was said he had EPM.  The diagnosis was based on him rearing after refusing a water crossing, then falling over backwards.  They did a spinal tap on him and it came back weak positive.  When I got the horse back, I took him to another vet for a full physical neurological exam.  This vet spent about an hour going over the horse.  We backed up, backed off a ramp, turned tight circles, walked over poles, walked with the vet pulling on the tail sideways, flexed the legs and placed them in awkward positions...etc.  The horse passed every single one of the physical tests, so the vet told me that he would never have considered EPM with this horse.  A weak positive in the state of Texas means that he was exposed, but doesn't necessarily have it.  I've been working with this boy a lot over the last two months and he hasn't made a single misstep.  I do see how he went over backwards when rearing, though.  He's very green & spooky and VERY light on the front end.  It wouldn't take much to pull him over when he rears. 

  So, basically, the spinal tap is only good in conjunction with positive physical signs.  This boy didn't have any physical signs, so his diagnosis is that he does not have EPM.  It's a load off of my mind, but I feel someone just lost out on a great horse that was just a little green.  Nothing that time and experience wouldn't cure. 

 

Rae

Tall C Arabians - Central

Sarah W <crxtreem@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I had a colt diagnosed with EPM this past January.
One of the first symptoms I noticed was the apparent
difficulty to swallow. My first vet opinion was my
colt had some sort of scratched tissue in his throat
and wanted me to take him into the local university to
be scoped. My second opinion threw that idea out
completely and then said a spinal tap would be a waste
of money because all horses in my area will show some
level of exposure to EPM, the tap only indicates
exposure.

Best suggestion .. get the horse on EPM meds as soon
as possible. The sooner you start treatment, the
better chance the horse has at surviving. I had to
dissolve the meds in water to create a paste, and they
are costly. Get another vet to look at the horse if
needed. A good way to check for EPM is have someon
pull on the horse's tail and pull the hind end to one
side or another - the automatic response should be to
step out the side to catch himself from falling.
Also, take a sharper object (like a key) and poke the
horse randomly all over the body. If the horse
doesn't act like he feels it, then there is something
blocking that nerve reaction (hence, EPM). I lost my
colt to this because I didn't get a him treated soon
enough and the original vet that looked at him didn't
know what to look for. It was too late by the time
the second vet looked at him.

Best of luck.

Sarah
Lansing, MI


--- Julie Fuller wrote:

> >
> > Trying again on the EPM question. We've researched
> EPM. Difficulty
> > swallowing was one symptom, uncoordination on
> hills was another. My
> > student's horse has both. Her vet wants to scope
> the horse which has
> > choked 5 times. Seems that a problem in the throat
> would not account
> > for the uncoordination. Wouldn't the scoping be a
> waste of money? This
> > is a kid whose *really* having to pay her own way
> but it's her pet so
> > I want to help her avoid unnecessary costs. I know
> a spinal tap is the
> > diagnosis tool, but that many horses who aren't
> sick are positive on
> > that so is it worth the money? The article we
> read listed a 28 day
> > oral gel treatment. Anybody know what that runs?
> >
> > Angie
> >





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