Re: EPM early signs

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

UC Davis has an ongoing study on epm blood and spinal diagnostics (using a
post mortem brain tissue analysis as the ultimate confirmation. I don't have
access to my old sent items folder at the moment, and my numbers may be off
somewhat (I think the information was in the January 1999 Horse Report
published by UC Davis), but the thrust is accurate. False positives using
the Western blot on neuralogically sound horses runs something like 80% (the
numbers are somewhat lower on unsound horses). False negatives are low. The
test can rule EPM out, but becomes just one of a number of tools to diagnose
EPM in impaired horses.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Roxanne Zawacki <zawackis@pilot.msu.edu>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Monday, April 12, 1999 7:43 AM
Subject: RC: EPM early signs


>> I thought the only way to diagnose this illness was through a spinal tap
and
>> even then about half of the horses will test positive without actually
ever
>> having any symptoms. The vets on Ridecamp can better address this, I'm
sure.
>
>    I had my horse checked out at Michigan State, because we had a vet
>diagnose him based on the neuorlogical exams.  At State, they did the
>exams all over again, and determined that he definitely did not have EPM,
>and that there was no point to a spinal.  They did, however, determine that
>he has early arthritis in his left hind fetlock.
>    It is my understanding that the neurological exam, I'm assuming this is
>the checking nerves for response thing, is to check a horse for the
likelihood
>of EPM and then a spinal is for confirmation.  I believe it is the blood
test
>that gets a positive test from half the horses, just because they've been
>exposed, but a spinal is the only way to know if the disease is active.
>    Also, there are two spinal sites, behind the ears and in the lumbar
area.
>If you decide to get a spinal, I recommend the lumbar area, but some vets
won't
>do it.  For the other, the vet has to knock the horse out, and there are
more
>risks involved for the horse in what the needle can damage.  But, I agree,
>this is definitely one for the vets.
>    One more thing: I have a friend who lost a horse to EPM last year and
>she called my mom when she found out my horse had been diagnosed without a
>spinal and urged us to go somewhere to get a spinal done, because just
>neurological tests, even with a blood test, were *not* conclusive.  I'm
very
>glad we followed her advice.
>
>
>                        Sarah
>
>
>> I have known of two horses who were diagnosed with it.  One has
apparently
>> recovered after months on the treatment protocol and the other is still
>> undergoing treatment. The key is early detection as far as saving the
horse.
>
>> Good luck with your guy!!!
>>
>> Sylvia & Harca (Possum what??)
>>
>>
>>
>> --part1_eb19198a.2442ed62_boundary--
>>
>>
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>
>
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=