# EPM and Oroquin 10



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Thank goodness I have never had to deal with EPM.

However, the way you word your post, indicates your vet has not done either the blood test or the spinal fluid test on your horse.

I understand the spinal fluid test is invasive and vets do not want to use that method but, if your horse is presenting so many symptoms indicative of EPM, a blood test should have been done, before administering meds to treat EPM.

EPMhorse - Tests on blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

There are other diseases that mimic EPM. 

http://www.epmhorse.org/Diagnosis/

Please be sure that is what you are dealing with. If your vet has not done any sort of lab work on your horse, it might be prudent to get a second opinion, if at all possible (meaning if you live in an area where you can easily get another vet


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## Phura (Dec 4, 2012)

walkinthewalk said:


> Thank goodness I have never had to deal with EPM.
> 
> However, the way you word your post, indicates your vet has not done either the blood test or the spinal fluid test on your horse.
> 
> ...


I am as confident as one can be in my vet. They are the best in the area and are a very experienced equine hospital. (A local place is actually named after the owner.) We did have some lab work completed in December when he came up with sick with signs of stress and what was determined an undiagnosed fever. After an emergency vet call and stall rest until symptoms resolved, he was turned out and seemed off after coming back from rest. Had the chiro out and issue appeared in the stifle but chiro helped him otherwise feel better. Then the stifle issue remained so I had the vet out for lameness exam. He came up grade 1 with very mild stifle swelling. Buted, rested but progress was erratic. Did another exam including neuro exam and vet noted possibility of EPM but appeared to be stifle when we did xrays. X-ray showed mild issues in stifle so we injected him. Vet said should be a one time deal and gave 90% chance of resolution. After injecting, he became off in his right hind, then the front. After discussing more history and potential issues, it is believed to be EPM. I believe the illness stressed his immune system enough to allow the disease to progress further. 

I have since read extensively on the matter from both vets and many publications and his symptoms definitely point that direction more than any other. The treatment was deemed the diagnostic route as the blood tests are often unreliable and testing spinal fluid is risky. It is very common practice among the vets. If they appear to enter the crisis treatment phase of the medication, it is indicative of the disease. My horse appears to fall into that category. I realize he could be wrong, but he's certainly following what seems to be the standard and is well versed in the various treatment including this newer drug he reluctantly tried years ago after a client's horse kept relapsing on the standard. 

I appreciate your concern and education you have shared. It's definitely a daunting and emotional disease as many horses respond to treatment, but there are some who also do not. This horse is extremely special to me, so I'm just trying to continue reading and educating myself in order to do my best to help him. In the end, its in God's hands but I will do my best to care for this horse he blessed me with, and am praying he recovers. :runninghorse2:


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

My horse did the Oroquin 10 course of treatment and made a full recovery. His EPM came on very fast, within a few days he went from being completely sound and full of life to staggering around, barely able to walk.

I already had a vet appointment for routine stuff, and the vet guessed it was probably EPM, and took blood to have it tested. The next day I called the vet and wanted to start a course of treatment as the horse was getting worse by the hour. My vet said that he wasn't supposed to prescribe medication until he got the results of the test back, and that would be on Thursday. I said, "The horse will be dead by Thursday." The vet made an exception, had the Oroquin 10 compounded in Ocala, and I drove the hour and 45 minute drive each way to get the medication and gave it to him the minute I got home. 

My horse started to recover within about 2 hours of the first dose. He made a complete and full recovery from the Oroquin 10. Everyone told me the EPM would ultimately come back, but I hoped they were wrong, my horse was so sound and healthy. The vet said he had never seen anything like it, my horse was so bad off when he started treatment. He was 100% sound and able to do everything he could do before the EPM hit him.

I got to enjoy my wonderful boy for 2 1/2 more years when the EPM did come back, even faster than before. He went from being just a tiny bit "off" to being dead in 3 days.


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