Monday, May 30, 2016

A list of EPM symptoms, and some advice from me to you

I had noticed something odd about Blue for awhile now, but never put two and two together until last night.
Very often when I walk up to Blue's stall, he has dropped from his sheath. I noticed several months ago that he was doing this more often, but if I couldn't find any information about sidewinders in horses, I certainly wasn't going to find anything about sidewinders in horses with the symptom of dropping out of his sheath.
I've always been pretty good about cleaning his sheath, but I haven't done it in awhile, mostly because of the mandate that no one be too "under" Blue for fear of him falling on us.
Yesterday when I walked up to his stall in the morning, he had dropped. I always leave him be when I see this, because when you gotta go, you gotta go.
Last night when I went to check on his hay, I noticed he had dropped again. And something clicked in my head. Could this be yet another neurological symptom?
I can't find much on it, but I think it's worth mentioning here, because this is something I noticed before he came in from the field crab walking last year. If it is a sign of neurological issues, I wish I had known about it then.
Here is my list of Blue's EPM/Sidewinders symptoms:
Crab walking
Turning circles
Non-directional, unable to move in the intended direction
ataxia/weakness in the hind end
depression/lethargy
misshapen hooves from unusual wear patterns
dropping from his sheath
tilted hind end
uneven muscle deterioration in the hind end
kicking out his right hind leg when resting
uncommonly bothered by flies
leaning on the hay feeder and his stall wall

Blue never lost his appetite, always drank his water, seemed mostly happy most of the time, and when not stressed, would even canter and trot with his buddies in the field.

I would say that if you even suspect EPM or a neurological issue in your horse, call your vet and ask for the ELISA test and Oroquin prescription. For under $300 you can definitively know BEFORE your horse suffers permanent damage to its Central Nervous System. Had I been educated on any of this in Nov. 2015, I could have prevented so much of Blue's suffering and sidestepped some of the bigger hurdles I think we might encounter in his rehabilitation.
Oroquin 10 is affordable, accessible, has no side effects, and easy to feed if your horse isn't Blue :(
If I could take the time machine back to Nov. 2015, I would have done all of these things immediately and saved us both a lot of heartache.
As I write this, I still don't know if Oroquin 10 will save my horse, but I am hopeful. I am grateful to Dr. Ellison and my vet for giving me this last-ditch option for him. I read blog posts and articles about "returning a horse to work" after EPM, and "getting your whole horse back in 10 days." But the truth of the matter is that so many people are like me - with an elderly heart horse who means the world, a horse that will never be ridden again, will never show. A horse that holds their world right-side-up just by being healthy and happy in the pasture. I know there are people like me who happily write the monthly board check for a horse who is the cornerstone of their lives - no saddles needed.
How amazing that this drug is available for the performance horses and the heart horses alike.
If you are reading this because you suspect your horse is having a neurological issue, stop reading and call your vet. You have so much to gain and so little to lose.

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