I don’t honestly think this will help…but. Just to rule out something. Give him an overdose, I mean that, of straight Ivermectin (i.e. two tubes). and in 7 days do it again. And then again.
I don’t think it is the issue…but… you never know, if on the off chance neck threadworms (Onchercerca cervalis) are in the picture, it will help. Ivermectin is cheap. If it it is not that, you won’t have set anything back. The only reason I mention it is your comment on his itchy neck.
My young horse (unbroke) was suddenly all wrong, and beyond itchy. He was also weirdly neuro in his hind end. I did not do a lameness workup, but we did pursue the skin issues, which in his case exactly matched neck threadworms. (Realism in costs…?) Three weeks of double dosing ivermectin because it matched the skin issues…I have last year’s horse back. More importantly, the neuro issues in the hind end have gone away.
Oh that is interesting! Can’t hurt.
It can’t hurt. I doubt it is the answer (I would love it to be, but I am not in the zone of believing anything these days)…but, it can’t hurt! And it did turn an increasingly out of control, itchy, overall unhappy, and uncoordinated horse around. Or something did. I have no tests one way or the other.
I went the whole “Is it EPM” thing, ins included. Upon autopsy, it was EPM. They will not put the horse down at NB until they have exhausted all other possibilities. My horse started crashing upon landing jumps (twice) and hitting feet together til I finally pulled his shoes and showed him barefoot (before I knew it was neurologic)- The low Vit E is telling (he had always been on Elevate, so I think the low Vit e is a bi-product of the disease vs the cause)- They will most likely find something on autopsy to justify ins coverage (mine had 3 neck compressions but the vet report specifically stated that was not the cause of the neruo problems) -
Do you mean EDM? EPM is protozoal disease, but that sounds like what I have heard with EDM. Also very interesting you found pulling the shoes helpful- did you ever block his feet? I have to wonder if they get nerve pain in their feet like people do with similar diseases.
Your vet sounds awesome!
Update- Vitamin E levels normal, and UC Davis isn’t doing the screening blood test for EDM right now. He has finished up his NSAIDs and is in some regular steel shoes after a break being barefoot and has moved to another barn where he can be in more consistent work (with full disclosure to the rider, of course). He has not tripped since coming over, allegedly, and I watched him trot all over a field of tall grass yesterday. I am curious to see how much the position of the neck comes into play- his current rider does not really ask him to come into contact and is just focused on strength and fitness across some terrain.
A positive development, I suppose, but unless I get some kind of actual explanation I will still take him to NB.
