Epm

[OverandOnward]

OP, you are wonderful for going the extra mile for your horse.

I do not know very much about treating for EPM, expected outcomes and so forth. I do know that Marquis is very expensive.

There is an alternative treatment that is much less costly. Hopefully those with more experience can comment on Rebalance vs. Marquis. I wonder if Rebalance would be enough for a possible marginal case. What is it were given for only a month?

Rebalance: (can be had from Valley Vet or Chewy’s with prescription
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=2187cad3-8cf3-410e-aaeb-d2de2f608af5&grp=UUUU&grpc=UUUU&grpsc=UUUU&ccd=IGO057&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6oHf9tT27QIVRlXVCh3soQ76EAAYAiAAEgKFf_D_BwE

Marquis: (Valley Vet & Chewys)
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=704FDA78-5D4B-4131-926E-9E9DEF9802A9&q=marquis

@joiedevie99

I’ve treated several borderline cases and was always happy I did. I think there are a lot of milder cases that are missed because they don’t cause any neurological deficits.
…

I’m glad to hear that you did well by treating borderline cases. I think I may have one now. If it is EPM, I’d prefer to knock it down before it goes further.

@skydy

There are people here who can give you an educated opinion. If your vet is not familiar with these issues you may choose to call the nearest Veterinary teaching hospital in your area to help you interpret the test results.

This. ^^^ You need a vet who has deep experience with EPM in your area.

@joiedevie99

Realistically, I don’t know anyone who spinal taps anymore for EPM. You just treat and see if it produces improvement. Marquis is a relatively safe drug.

I would not spinal tap for EPM. It is extremely painful. Plus how many vets have experience with spinal taps? It’s not for someone without considerable experience to do alone.

[joiedevie99]

@OverandOnward

I’m glad to hear that you did well by treating borderline cases. I think I may have one now. If it is EPM, I’d prefer to knock it down before it goes further.

Yes! One got spookier, but in a weird way. She would lose her marbles when there was nothing there, and not care when a dog jumped out of a bush unannounced. After her 5th tube of Marquis it never happened again. Another completely lost the coordination to do clean changes overnight. He’d also randomly swap leads behind. Both were problems he’d never had before. 7 tubes of Marquis and he had tempi changes again. Both horses had borderline titers, and both tested lower after treatment. Both stayed in light work during treatment, and neither ever failed a neuro test. It’s also worth noting that we finished the full course of treatment even though the improvement happened fast.

[OverandOnward]

@joiedevie99

Both stayed in light work during treatment, and neither ever failed a neuro test. It’s also worth noting that we finished the full course of treatment even though the improvement happened fast.

Thanks for this information! Just what I needed today!

Waiting on test results, but I think we already know what we need to do. This horse deserves the best chance to be all he can be.

[Amy3996]

EPM titers can be tricky. Most of the vets I’ve talked to said they typically don’t recommend testing until or unless the horse develops clinical symptoms, because the Titer only indicates exposure to the Protozoa. We tested my 20yo this summer after he had a sudden attitude change, lethargy, weight loss and a few random aggressive acts that were wildly out of character for him. His titer came back 1:4000. My vet said she’d only seen a Titer that high in her 20 years of practice in a horse that was no longer able to stand. It was the final straw in a long list of factors that brought us to the decision to humanely euth him without attempting to treat the EPM.

That said, I’ve known two horses that have successfully undergone treatment with Marquis this year - one a 5yo and the other a 21yo. The difference in the 5yo 1 month after treatment is remarkable. He’s developed a lot of muscle in the right places, is no longer tripping, and generally seems like a happy healthy young horse.

Jingles for your horse! EPM is a bear.

[OverandOnward]

Does anyone have treatment experience and an opinion re Marquis vs Rebalance?

Best I can tell, Marquis is expensive, but reviews indicate it is highly effective. And it is more likely to be done in one course of 4 tubes. Although it may take more than that.

Whereas Rebalance is also effective but takes months longer to achieve results comparable to one month of Marquis. Although initially it seems that Rebalance costs only about 15% of a Marquis 4-tube pack, in fact if you have to keep buying Rebalance for a longer course of treatment, you could end up spending the same, and loosing months of time waiting on the cure to take hold.

That’s just from reading the labels and reviews. Anyone have more practical comparative experience? Thx!