Well Crap

I have no personal experience, but I know that EPM is a very puzzling disease. Even if you thought to call a vet immediately it would have taken awhile to properly diagnose your boy.

A couple things I know:

This disease is caused by parasites. Opposums are the host of this parasite and horses get EPM if they eat or drink something contaminated by opposum feces. A horse is a dead end for this disease (so if you have other horses you don't need to worry about them "catching" it... though they could be affected by the same original source).

True treatment does depend on how early on it is noticed. The damage done to the nervous system is basically done (performance will be affected) and now we are working to stop further damage.

There is a vaccine, but it is still in initial stages. It can also confuse vets since an EPM test will automatically come back positive even if the horse doesn't have EPM, just because of the vaccine.

Really, it is a puzzle. They don't know all that much. But at this point don't get too worried. There is treatment and I don't believe your horse will get much worse.

I hope your boy makes a full recovery, sheadakota.

((Hugs)) I know what it's like when one of your furbabies isn't feeling well.

And I would have thought it was because of his sore leg at first, too. Don't beat yourself up.

I hope he's okay. Don't beat yourself up too much. We do the best we can for them and it's not unreasonable to think a stiff leg is the result of a recent injury. {{{hugs}}}

((((((((((((((YOU)))))))))))

I will echo the what the others have said. No beating allowed.

Wow. This floored me. I've never heard of it before, and we have six horses, all of which run on full pasture at all times. We have them wormed and vaccinated, of course, and I assumed that they were safe from most diseases. I would have never thought that they could be harmed by opossums. We have tons of possums around here. The dog drags them home all the time, and after they recover from their stupor, I generally let them wander back to their placid little lives. Maybe I should get the .22 out, instead?

We recently had a mare pull up lame, and all I wanted was for her not to be in pain. I was fine with the thought of permanently retiring her and never riding her again, so long as she was not in pain. She recovered, and I really, really hope your big fella does to. Keep us posted.

I tell people to go ahead and kick yourself in the butt once but only if you'll agree to get on the forgineness wagon. If you asked your horse to forgive you for being a dork what do you think he would say?


(((((HUG)))))So sorry.



I've been there. I'm sure my cat would say, of course I forgive you.

The safest, easiest way to protect your horse from EPM (but not fully) is to secure your grain from possums. Like metal tins with latches secure. And of course, don't spill it everywhere.

But that said, there's tons out there on EPM. Hopefully once the inflammation goes down, Shea, your boy will feel better. And while you may never be good for cantering through rolling fields or a trek through a canyon, hopefully it will be more 'lameness' concerns than stumbling issues once he's got those nasties out of him.

I would read up on it and talk to your vet again to insure you are doing all you need to do right now. I'm not sure if you'd want to add antiinflammatories or when you'd want to retest (some don't retest at all iirc. It's an expensive test. Either the drug worked or it didn't. There's no other choice for treatment sadly).

And yeah, keep us posted.

Glad Dakota is doing well, and yeah, that drug is crazy expensive. Don't drop it or leave it in the sun

Lots of hugs for him.

Praying for you that he will be ok and keeps improving. ((((((HUGS))))).