Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] Spinal tap/dilemia/Rascal - Truman Prevatt

It has been estimated that 65% of the horses in the Southeastern US will have a positive blood test for EPM. Clearly 65% of the horses in the SE don't have EPM. When my horse came down with West Nile, the vet did some coordination test on the horse. He diagnosed it as WN. He said it would be (with a high probability) one of three things, an injury , EPM or WN. He eliminated EPM and an injury with the coordination test. He was right.

The neurological responses will to be slightly different for each of the three. I would find a good vet who has a lot of experience with neurological conditions to examine the horse before I went any further - that is unless it is even remotely suspected to be WN and if it is start treatment asap.

Truman

Stephanie E Caldwell wrote:

Laurie,

I've been meaning to write this earlier this week. If you want to know the
entire EPM story, let me know. Star was "diagnosed" with EPM in May of 2001
on symptoms and positive blood tests only. I treated for 6 months on the
anti malarial/anti biotic combination, $1200 of treatment. When she
continued to have problems and I was considering retiring her for a pasture
ornament at 4 years old, I called the senior partner of the vet practice I
used out for one last effort on her. He borrowed a thermograph from the vet
school and it was a true spinal injury. She had major inflamation in the
spinal cord itself!! She had received a spinal injury from a saddle that was
defective. Please check other options before treating, the long term effects
can be devestating. My horse has a major resistance to sulfa antibiotics,
she lost alot of hair... It can have tragic effects EPM or not.

On spinal taps, my mother has days she's paralyzed from a spinal tap with
*no* complications. I refused to have one done, and would make the same
decision today if I had to do it over.

Let me know if you want to know the long version!

Steph






=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Replies
[RC] Spinal tap/dilemia/Rascal, Laurie Durgin
Re: [RC] Spinal tap/dilemia/Rascal, Stephanie E Caldwell