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Dealing with EPM...Scared out of my MIND! *update* Sadly, horse euthanized.

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#1 ·
I have a 13 yr old TB gelding. About three months ago he dropped weight drastically. We started adding things to his grain to help with this (tried Purina Cool Calories, then went to shredded beat pulp, corn oil and calf manna). We also upped his hay intake. Nothing seemed to help. He started to shed out his winter coat and was bald underneath of it. He also around the same time started having trouble urinating (would pee frequently and in very short spurts). I freaked and called our vet. Blood was drawn, tests run and it was determined that he had a severe infection. This infection was causing him to be anemic, have low enzyme levels, his lack of new hair growth, his weight loss...etc. He was given a massive dose of penicillin and put oral antibiotics for two weeks. In this two weeks he started to put some weight back on, it wasn't much but it was noticeable. I thought we were doing good! Not two days after the end of the antibiotics things started going downhill. He was continually weak to the point of needing the barn to lean on to stand. He started hanging his head low, his bottom lip would droop and the weight started coming back off (yes, it was noticeable in such short amount of time). He was then put on an injectable vitamin complex to help with his anemia and enzyme levels (this was thought to be the reason he was so weak). A couple days later he started to stumble and went off his feed almost completely. He was then diagnosed with EPM.
I had heard of this disease in passing only. I started to do my research. What I have read about it terrifies me. His medication had to be ordered (a four day wait) and he has now been on it for three days (tonight will be his fourth dose). I have been told that it will take weeks for him to start to show improvement. The problem is that he is going downhill so fast. He is now completely lame in his back left leg. He practically drags it around. His head is never raised more then a foot and a half off the ground. We have had to move his hay and grain to the ground just to get him to take few bites. He is maybe taking in a quarter of the grain that he was originally and maybe a bead of hay a day. (Charlie is big horse, standing at 16.3, this isnt enough feed to sustain him). He is in so much pain (which he is on banamine for) that he grunts when he walks and refuses to back at all. His weight keeps dropping and he looks like a skeleton. I noticed tonight that he would stand with his head down and his mouth gaping open.
The only bright spot in this is that he hasnt gone down on us yet. He remains standing through it all even with the stumbling and pain that he is in. I have read the statistics for recovery of this disease. 80% recover with a 30% relapse rate. What I want to know, I can't seem to find...How far downhill are they before treatment doesnt work? What % of recovered horses recover enough to be sound for work? How will I know when he is to far gone to keep attempting to treat him? Is there anything that I can mix and basically force feed him (yes with a syringe if i have to) to make sure he is taking in nutrients?
I have never had to deal with ANY type of issues that would make me have to consider euthanizing one of my horses. I suppose you could consider me lucky so far. This is frustrating to the point of sickness. Seeing him as thin and in pain as he is while my other horses are fat and happy is probably the most painful thing in the world for me. I feel so helpless. He looks at me for help and I can't seem to give him anymore then I already am.

Any tips, advice....ANYTHING would be helpful right now. He is on banamine for the pain and ponazuril for the EPM. I bought a jar of Su-per DMSO gel that I had planned to rub on his legs but Im not sure if that is safe to use while hes on the other meds. My vet, although amazing at treating horses, isnt the type of person to stand and answer questions for me.
 
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#38 ·
Is there another vet you can call to come out asap?

If he's down, hopefully he is in an open enough area where he won't be further injuring himself. If he's able to stand and walk a little, if you can manage to lead him to as open an area as possible to prevent further injury. I don't know what kind of weather you're having, but if it's not wet or raining he is safer outside if there's any way to get him out into a very open area with soft ground until a vet can get there.

Can someone stay with him as much as possible until then? If he is down and unable to get to his feet at all, and you can't get a vet out for the next 24 hours or so, he can suffocate if he isn't turned. You can roll him over every couple of hours to keep him from suffocating. If you have an extra hand, just gently turn him over using soft ropes, and one person can do it if you have the physical ability and work gently.

You can also keep a soft blanket over him to prevent shock if you think it's suitable.

If you've ever given any IM injections, if a vet will let you have some xylazine to help keep him calm if he's down and panicking to get to his feet and continuing to fall, that may be a good idea.

Just remember to breathe and keep your head as much as possible, hang in there.
 
#42 ·
Really sorry for what you are going through. We have a mule here that has EPM so I know what you are going through. She has been treated for 5 weeks with marquis and hasn't show a whole lot of improvement. Our vet has told us the damage to her brain is likely permanent. I have no idea how long she has had epm, we bought her off a broker who bought her at an auction.
She is still circling occationally and falls over when she falls asleep. The only improvement that she has made is that she has put on some weight and muscle so she is able to stand up. She has no interest in grain, she will occationally eat a bite or two if I hold a bucket for her. She grazes just fine and wanders around the field. Luckily our fences are safe as she falls on them quite a bit.
There is a video of Sarah on this thread trying to get up http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/nuerological-spinal-damage-need-some-help-115988/. We had to help her several times to get up. She is getting up now on the first try, so that is improvement.
The vet was probably trying to get you to think things through. Sarah had injured hind leg badly a couple weeks ago falling on it, called the vet and he just told us to give her bute and keep her comfortable. I think I would have put her down that day if he did come out. Her leg was better the next day and she was putting weight on it. Try to keep your boy as comfortable as possible and in the safest spot possible. We do not put Sarah in the barn, she gets stuck against the walls if she falls over and can't get up. Our fence has enough give that if she falls, it just bows out.
I wish I could be more help to you, but I think I am the same situation as you wondering what to do.
 
#43 ·
oh honey :( I'm sending you peaceful thoughts via internet :) my dear you are handling this well. You have realized that enough is enough, he knows you love him and he knows you have tried everything. I'll keep you in my prayers <3 also, here is my favorite Bible verse! It helps me with a lot of stuff---- Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go"
 
#44 ·
just updating everyone.

things continued to slide downhill through the night. we got our vet out early this morning and he recommended euthanizing Charlie. I felt, with as bad as thing were getting that it wasnt fair for him to suffer anymore.

Thank you to everyone who responded to this and tried to give helpful advice. I pray that there is a cure or even just a better treatment found for this disease in the future.

No one should have to see their horse decline the way I did.

Thank you all again
 
#48 ·
just updating everyone.

things continued to slide downhill through the night. we got our vet out early this morning and he recommended euthanizing Charlie. I felt, with as bad as thing were getting that it wasnt fair for him to suffer anymore.

Thank you to everyone who responded to this and tried to give helpful advice. I pray that there is a cure or even just a better treatment found for this disease in the future.

No one should have to see their horse decline the way I did.

Thank you all again
I'm so sorry. You could not have done more.
You're right, no one should have to watch that & when you most needed help you were ignored. Perhaps there is still something you can do.

Check out December 2011, first entry under vets
State of Illinois : Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
 
#51 ·
I'm so sorry to hear this sad news about your beloved Charlie. I hope it is some comfort to you to know that you did everything you could and took wonderful care of him. He knew he was loved.

The vet that told you it could wait until Monday...it wasn't important? Frying is too good for him. I'd be filing a complaint with the state board and/or having a CTJ meeting with the head vet of that practice.
 
#55 ·
Skybird03, I am so very sorry you had to endure watching your Charlie decline so very fast. You did do everything possible for him. Your love of him was very evident and also brought tears to my eyes reading your updates.

There is a place many like to call it "Rainbow Bridge" where our 4-legged friends go when their lifetime ends to leave us behind. I have one who is there to greet Charlie. Gone, but never forgotten. "Over Rainbow Bridge" our beloved 4-legged friends are running and frolicking healthy and free of all pain and suffering. As is your Charlie!!

:hug::hug::hug:
 
#57 ·
Doing a bit better...you guys helped alot!

Thank you all! Just reading all of you condolences brings tears to my eyes.

We buried Charlie here at home. I couldnt stand the thought of letting strangers come and take him away.

I will always be left with questions about this. Since we really only owned Charlie for a short time I'm not even sure if he already had EPM or if he contracted it at our place. If he did get it here then I worry about whether or not it was in the hay or somewhere else. If it was in the hay, was it in my big bales or my little ones? And even then, we dont know if it would have been in the hay before we bought it or if it got there after we bought it. The question really make my head hurt.

If any of you get back to this, I'm considering having my other two horses tested. Let me know what you think of this. Am i just being paranoid considering what happened or is it justified?

Thank you all again! I really do appreciate the advice and the sympathy.
 
#58 ·
Skyebird, I'm so sorry to read all this about your horse and the insensitive vet. I'd have him over slow coals just for principal. As for the other horses, if they aren't showing neuro symptoms, I probably wouldn't test them because the tests only really show if the horse has been exposed. I would be cleaning the feeding areas and looking for signs of racoons, possums, skunks, feral cats and setting traps for them. EPM is most frequently transmitted because an animal carrier got into the feed and left droppings in it. Whether that's hay, grain or in their feed bins, I'd be going on a major cleaning frenzy and searching for the clues to get rid of the source.

Here's a link to an article that explains the transmission of EPM pretty well: http://www.wholehorsevetservices.com/pdfs/UnderstandingEPM.pdf
 
#59 ·
Skybird03.....I'm so sorry about what you and Charlie had to go through. Just UNIMAGINABLE. Thanks for posting. I never heard of that disease before. Now I know. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and Charlie. What a heartbreaking story to hear so I can imagine it was even worse for you to live it.
 
#60 ·
I don't think you are paranoid at all in wanting to have your other horses tested for EPM. In having the testing done on your other horses you might have a better idea on where Charlie might have ingested Opossum feces. If none of your other horses have shown symptoms before Charlie came to live with you then it is a good possibility he was exposed in his previous environment.

No doubt in your research you found that Opossums have a parasite that passes through their digestive tract to the end at their feces and that parasite when ingested by horses goes to the horses brain. Which causes the neurological symptoms.

My husband and I live in a very rural, out-in-the-country environment. I consider opossums to be a nuisiance to the health of my now one horse and the others I had here at one time. I have no qualms about ending the life of an opossum.
 
#63 ·
What a hard thing to go through, and what a shock, first to have this happen, to be so sudden, and finally to have so little support from your vet. You should not have had to go through all of that, and neither should Charlie.

Charlie was a lucky horse to have you by his side, trying your hardest to help him and making the terrible choices we who love horses have to make. Every horse should be so fortunate.

I'm so sorry... Take care of yourself, and give yourself a warm hug from me and Ahab. Probably a hot chocolate, a good book, and a warm bed wouldn't hurt either....
 
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