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[RC] EPM - Julie Fuller
I suppose the choking could be related to the possible EPM, but it could be something else.... What breed is this horse? I was told by a vet years ago that saddlebreds, and TB are a little more prone to "throat malfunctions" than other breeds.... ie: entrapment of the soft palate, enlargement of the epiglottis (sp?) and paralysis of the vocal cords (the horse I had scoped had all three.... he was a Saddlebred) All these can cause problems with swallowing. On the EPM side, like I said, it's possibly related. I lost a gelding to EPM . I first noticed something wrong when he became harder to "keep" doing the same things on the same feed. Then he started popping splints in his hind legs.... Very odd for a 15 year old horse, doing what he had always done. Because of his compromised equilibrium, he wasn't getting around in the pasture as well for grazing.... hence the weight loss. He got so bad, I had to lead him into the barn at night... he wouldn't try it on his own. Poor guy! He didn't know which end was up! One of the yests YOU can do for EPM is to blindfold the horse, and lead it around. On the flat, on slight hills, and making some sharp turns. Be very careful.... you DONT want to get fallen on. The first time we did this with my gelding, he damn near went down turning a corner.... when he got worse, he'd stumble even on smooth, level ground. He also exhibited "ataxia" , picking his feet up very high, and very carefully. A side note: I could saddle him up and ride him at this time, and he showed vitutally no sign of having trouble. He was a very collected, extremely atletic horse in very good shape. Eventually, he did become unsafe to ride too... but that was a long way down the road. I don't know if West Nile, or other diseases would show these same symptoms.... but I imagine a vet would know. I'm also not sure about the treatments now available..... My gelding was one of the first horses diagnosed with EPM in this area in early 1991. Back then, we didn't know that if you didn't treat right away, it didn't work. Sonny had been showing symptoms for 9 months before we treated him the first time. We ended up doing it all over again about 9 months later. He never recouperated to a safe level, not even as a pasture ornament. Hope this helps. And I wish you and your horse owner the best of luck. Julie =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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