Zora's Health Challenge: The Diagnosis

So we went to the vet for a chiropractic adjustment. She asks the questions, takes a look at Zora in the exam room, and then asks John to walk her so she can watch. She had a veterinary student there - the student was doing her internship. She took the student aside and was talking very intently to her and gesturing at Zora -- pointing and such. When John and Zora got back to us the vet says,

"I have no doubt in my mind this horse has EPM."

My head started spinning, my knees got weak and I thought I was going to faint. I thought EPM was a death sentence. I said to the vet, "Oh my God, she is going to die?" The vet told me no, that she could be treated. I felt 1,000 times better.

So she explained the disease to us, the course of treatment and possible outcomes. She said some horses never fully recover, and some do but have recurrences of it from time to time. It takes a long time to recover from EPM -- months in fact. But the fact that it was treatable made all the difference.

So we started on getting her through this. A round of intense medicine for one month -- the strongest they have - Marquis paste. Thankfully Zora is a sweetheart for any type of medication or vaccines you give her be it paste or injections. She just stands perfectly still for it. Unlike when John is trying to get in the saddle, then she wants to walk in circles! But she is great for medicine.

So we started on the treatment and rehab.