Laurie, I treated an SPCA rescue horse for EPM a
year ago. The med was called Marquis? It was about $1000 for a months supply. It
comes in a tube like wormer and depending on the amount of the dose, one syringe
should last a month or 28 days.
We didn't pull blood or do a spinal. Since he was a
confiscation, we had no history so didn't know if possibly he had neurological
trauma or history so we assumed EPM. His symptoms were falling on the circle and
falling on his butt when he pulled back. He also walked like he couldn't see the
ground. After the treatment, the symptoms disappeared.
I would recommend you call a University and find
out the current protocol and if they could recommend a vet for you to help
diagnose your horse. I am not sure that we know all that much more now about EPM
then we did 5 years ago. I opted not to do a spinal and just try the treatment
just because I can't stand to put animals through any pain that isn't all that
necessary. I am not sure a spinal is all that necessary. If you treat it
with meds and nothing changes, you may be out the money but the spinal might not
have told you all that much more. It will however, be very painful for your
horse.
