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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 346
 
Location: USA | I have a 5 year old that I am suspecting May have EPM. We live in New Mexico where EPM is not very common, but I bought him as a yearling from the Waco area.
He has had one bad flare up when I took him to his first barrel race last fall.
i took him on to the vet and we had drawn blood to send in the test and then he had found ticks in his ears. We chalked it off with the ticks and waited to see if there was any improvement. He has improved since, but I still feel he is a little weak in the hind end and can never catch his hind lead going to the second barrel. Even when I work figure 8's he always cross fires. He cross fires when out in the pasture as well. ALWAYS!
i called the vet and he thinks maybe he needs to be adjusted or maybe it is a hock or stifle problem. I think I will insist on doing a test.
I would really like some of your advise about treatment. Like I said we don't see much of this here in New Mexico, I have heard that the 5 day IV treatment is a good way to go. I have asked him if my gelding did have it what would he treat with, and he said Marquis and sulfa drugs. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
 
| Have your vet do some neurological tests and blood work before treating him. Just because he's cross firing I wouldn't chalk it up as EPM. What do you mean he had "one bad flare up" EPM doesn't usually just flare up and then go away, it will flare up and then stay flared up until treatment is done. It progressively gets worse. Is he losing top line, muscle atrophy on face, shoulders, or hind end. Dragging hind feet, trouble walking up and down hills, hind end not tracking behind front end, falling or tripping excessively when asked to go faster than a walk. These could all be signs but it could also be signs of a number of things. | |
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | Personally, I'd have a chiro check and adjust his pelvis... I have a mare that DOES have EPM, however, it's almost always a chiro issue when she is having issues with her back leads. Also, she doesn't lay down and roll when she is needing an adjustment.
If it's not a chiro issue, I'd look into treating the EPM, testing is optional. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 346
Location: USA | Yes, he did do a couple tests and he was borderline, but he thought having ticks in his ears can show the same symtoms.
When he had this "flare up" i had taken him with us to a barrel race just to see the sights. He had never been to an overnight barrel race, so I thought it was time. We got him out of the trailer and all his hair was standing up on end, and he was kinda drawn up like he had a belly ache. He was a bit irritated and not wanting to stand still (which is very unlike him, he is normally pretty lazy) I walked him around for a while, gave him some water and he came out of it. I have fed this horse alfalfa pellets since I bought him as a yearling, and when we fed that night, he suddenly started choking on the pellets. We went to check on him that night, and he was leaning against the stall wall. We got him home and for a few days he was a little weak and still could not eat the pellets without choking. Also while we were at that barrel race, we noticed he was losing weight, especially on the topline. this went on for a few months and when I rode him he was pretty stumbly and would never catch his lead in the back unless I dropped down to a trot. He was pretty lathargic throughout this time and SUPER lazy.
The last couple months he has gained some weight back and his attitude is a lot brighter. The only symptom I see now is that he crossfires weather I am riding him or hes out in the pasture and just seems very stiff and stilty in the hind end.
So they CANNOT have a flare up and recover? That might be good news. Any ideas on what else it could be? | |
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | Yes they can have a "flare-up" and recover. My mare went undiagnosed for at least 2 years, and I ran her most of that time. She'd have days or short stretches when she'd have balance troubles, I'd take her to vet a couple days later and she'd be fine, wouldn't show any problems at all.
Mine would be very flighty and violent when she was having small problems, and she was always acting like she was in heat, and about half the time she acted tender footed. But she was VERY stumbly/lame (acted like she had an abscess) and VERY lethargic--kept her distance from my other two, but ate and drank fine. A day or two later she couldn't walk at all and was full blown neurological, which is when she was finally diagnosed and tested, and we started treatment a few days later.
My horse never choked or had any issues eating, but EPM is so different in every case that it could very well be a sign. I don't know if your horse has EPM, but I'd sure as heck be treating him for it anyway if I was seeing the signs that you are.
Edited by RockinGR 2014-03-06 12:57 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 346
Location: USA | Thanks for the info! The vet I have been using does chiro work as well, so I will have him check him. What did you treat your mare with? How much time off did you give her? Can you ride them while they are in treatment? | |
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | I treated her with Oroquin 10 paste, and started exercising her (straight line trotting down the dirt road) as soon as her balance returned...about 6 days into treatment. I returned her to competition at 6 weeks post diagnosis/treatment. It was a 3 day race, and she'd always been a solid 2D/3D horse. Ran in the 4D the first day, then shaved a full second off the next day because she gained a bunch of confidence. Another .2 off the 3rd day put her in the top half of the 2D, something like 32nd at a 300 entry race. I was tickled to say the least. She ran in the 2D, occasionally 1D the rest of the year. | |
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 Ms. Poutability
Posts: 2362
Location: In my own world | After a year of frustration with my horse, on off lameness and weakness we finally diagnosed EPM. I had her in training with Liana DeWeese. She told me to treat with Protazil 2-3 months and then to treat her with a 1/4 dose every year for 2 to 3 yrs after that. Is it expensive? Yes. Is there other stuff out there cheaper? Yes. But as I have said before, when Liana speaks, listen, she is saying something important. I treated my mare as directed and she has held up well with training and we are going to our second show this weekend! | |
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