The blog series I wrote about EPM early in 2020 remains one of the most-read series I have ever written. Clearly, this equine disease can be devastating to horses and their owners. It can also be difficult to understand exactly what is causing the visible clinical signs. In this post, I will describe some of …
This is the final installment of a blog series on neurological diseases in horses. Most of the posts have been about Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, or EPM. To summarize one of the main points of the previous four blogs, EPM is actually much rarer than most people believe. In fact, there are several rare neurological conditions …
This is the fourth installment of a blog series discussing neurological disorders in horses. Part One discussed Sarcosystosis, which is an infection with the protozoa Sarcocystis neurona. The protozoa most often associated with Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis or EPM is S. neurona. In Part Two, I shared the expertise of Siobhan P. Ellison, DVM PhD. Dr. Ellison believes inflammation …
EPM is a confusing and (apparently) prevalent disease affecting horses. This is the third installment of this series. Part One discusses infection with Sarcocystis neurona, the main protozoan implicated in EPM. Next, Part Two provides an overview of what causes the symptoms of EPM. This post will provide some critical bullet points to understand and …
In Part One of this series, I discussed the fact that opossums carry the protozoa Sarcocystis neurona that is the primary causative agent of Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis or EPM. Additionally, I briefly described the lifecycle of the parasite and discussed the symptoms of Sarcocystosis or infection with Sarcocystis. Frustrated horse owners responded to the blog, …
Have you ever seen the Facebook post from the “Save the Possums” group, describing how valuable opossums can be? For instance, the article touts the fact that opossums eat many insects. Would you like fewer ticks around your barn? Feed an opossum! The trouble is, you may already be feeding your barn guest if you …
