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Regular
Posts: 82
| What have you found to be the most accurate way to test for EPM?
I have a colt who has refused to take a right lead for 6 months now. Great mind... super quiet.... this lead deal is his only flaw. After some research, I'm beginning to think EPM might have something to do with the issue... |
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Veteran
Posts: 162
| Have you taken him to a chiropractor? We had one did this and he was out in several places. Now takes it everytime :)
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 975
Location: The barn...where else? SW Missouri | Pathogenes in Florida. Their website has the form and info to send in blood for testing. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. | Is that his only issue? Id not think EPM..
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Regular
Posts: 82
| Bibliafarm - 2016-01-17 9:09 PM
Is that his only issue? Id not think EPM..
Initially I didn't think so either, but I don't know what else to try. The man who started him said he was picking the lead up when he had him. I have had him adjusted, had several farriers look at his feet... tried forcing him into the lead, used logs, changed saddles/pads.... |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | The Pathogenes test is cheap. Might be worth doing it if only to rule it out. EPM can do very strange things. 3 vets looked at my mare and all said no on EPM. I insisted on the test and she had the highest titers the vets had ever seen.... |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | I just had an EPM-IFAT SacroFluor test (UC Davis) done |
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Regular
Posts: 82
| What did that cost?
What kind of treatment are you going with? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| Did you test your horse? We have a gelding doing the same thing, refusing right lead. He's been xrayed, injected, adjusted you name it. Had him scoped he has what my vet called mild ulcers and didn't think that was his issue. Even though I dry lotted the little $%!+ for 12 hrs he still managed to steal some alfalfa from neighbor horse in trailer and I'm sure he had some behind the was in his belly. I strongly suspect he has hind gut ulcers as well. Also tested for EPM and the neo was negative but sacro was 80 so he has a 50% chance of having it??? Waiting for vet to deliver prognosis based on clinical signs and that number. Ugh so frustrating! |
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 Lived to tell about it and will never do it again
Posts: 5409
| Have you ever been able to get him into that lead or is it something that just started? When I bought one of mine I couldn't get him into the left lead but previous person said they didn't have any trouble. Turns out I just had to figure out how to cue him for it, now he gets it every time
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| Where I'm at, the test was so expensive...that I just did 3 months of treatment for EPM instead of the test. The treatment is cheaper than the actual test...ugh. HUGE improvement after the 3 months of treatment though! |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| The EPM test is worthless. If you think he has it, treat him! |
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 Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Posts: 2411
Location: Wisconsin | Two Nickles - 2016-01-18 2:49 PM What did that cost? What kind of treatment are you going with?
145 bucks... |
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 Expert
Posts: 2128
| I would just treat. In my experience with the test I had done the vet can only confirm exposure. Very frusterating illness to deal with as the testing options do not give you an absolute answer, unless you do the spinal fluid with is very expensice and risky. |
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 Roan Wonder
Location: SW MO | We had a horse that had it several years ago. We took him to a real good equine vet here. They did a spinal tap. The vet said almost every horse you test will show a positive on a blood test because they have been exposed to it, but just because they have been exposed doesn't mean they have it. By now most horses have built up an immunity to it. To make sure that is what you horse has you need to do a spinal tap. |
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Test for EPM