We have a horse that has been diagnosed by the vet to have opossum disease. Does anyone know of any curative measures? Anything would help. I have done a little research, and ran across folic acid. What do you think?
2007-10-31 06:31:07 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
Antiprotozoal drugs are used in treating EPM (opossum disease), which kill the protozoan that causes the illness. The most common is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, an antimicrobial. Anti-inflammatory therapy is recommended and supplements of vitamins E and folic acid may aid in treatment. The prognosis is variable. Approximately 60% respond to the therapy. Some undesirable effects of treatment may occur, and depending on the amount of nerve tissue damage, there is no reversibility with treatment.
The best preventative to EPM is to control the contact between opossums and your horses in and around your barn. Keeping all food covered and out of range is an essential practice (especially if there is cat food around). Any person with a trained and precise eye should consider EPM when evaluating a lame horse. The key is to catch the disease early in order to effect a full recovery. There is also a higher incidence in stressed horses; for example, a race track may have an 80-90% occurrence rate. It is helpful to know that the disease takes a minimum of two weeks to two years from exposure to time it shows signs. There is presently no vaccine for EPM.
2007-10-31 06:42:38 · answer #1 · answered by Reverend Black Grape 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
iv been around and owned horses for 40 years,,,never heard of it
2007-10-31 06:43:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are referring to EPM, I have a good site for more info...
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/drfenger/
2007-10-31 06:57:52 · answer #3 · answered by kpatterson7 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋