His test was just from blood, and coincidentally, I
was just reading about EPM on-line (for anyone interested in this subject,
google EPM, there are plenty of articles). Anyway, the article I was
reading said the test should be from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), not blood,
because blood tests could give false positives. I can just imagine trying
to get CSF fluid...
Maybe I should get him re-tested to be sure, using
CSF fluid, before starting an expensive treatment protocol.
A positive blood test means ONLY that your horse has been exposed to the
EPM organism...NOT that he has EPM!!! In some parts of the country
(espcially the SE), up to 60-70% of horses will show a positive blood
test. I urge you to get some additional opinions, and if you still feel
that your horse may have EPM, consult with a veterinarian who has experience
with EPM horses, and have a complete exam done...where they put the horse
through a battery of physical tests to test his physical responses. I
would not even rely on what some consider the "definitive" test, the spinal
tap. It is VERY difficult to get a sample that is not contaminated with
blood...and even a microscopic amount of blood will produce a positive test
result in a horse with a postive blood test as yours has. I've seen
recent info from UC Davis that suggest that they are even doubting the
validity of a good spinal tap as a diagnostic tool.
Here's an example...my gelding Bear was returned to the seller by his
first buyer, because she thought he was uncoordinated and became convinced
he had EPM (he *was* uncoordinated...green, spooky, didn't know how to
balance with a rider on trail, crossing creeks, etc. LOL).
She had a spinal tap done, it came back a "weak positive" and was so
contaminated with blood it was actually bloody. Well, I knew there was
nothing wrong with the horse and bought him, and 570 endurance miles later
(including one 100 miler), Bear is doing just fine. We joke that
"who needs expensive drugs to cure EPM, just ride it out of 'em!" LOL
Good luck with your boy...and please keep us posted.
Dawn Carrie, Texas
and Little Bear TC (nuthin' wrong with me, except that Mom won't let me
go fast!)
I just got the news from my veterinarian -
my horse's blood test came back positive for EPM. This is such a
surprise to me, and I'm so glad I had him tested. Even the vet had
decided that he probably didn't have EPM, but I asked him to test for it
anyway. Glad I did.
Apparently the meds for it are extremely
expensive, about $800 to $900 a month. This is not something I
counted on, and it's frightening.
I was so *sure* he wouldn't have EPM, because
we don't have possums in this part of
Colorado. But my vet told me that he has seen EPM in other horses, (my
vet's in northern New Mexico). Apparently skunks may also be
implicated in spreading this -- oddly enough, I've only been feeding hay to
my horses. So, it's a mystery to me how he got it, but now I have to
figure out how to pay for his treatment. It's not going to be
easy, but there's no choice, it is a treatable condition and the sooner we
start his meds the better.
Carla Richardson
Colorado
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