Instructions
Observe your horse's gait. Do it appear lopsided? EPM normally affects one side of the brain and presents itself on one side of the horse's body. The horse may also act as if he is lame.
Inspect the muscles around the face, hindquarters and along the back. EPM can cause atrophy of the large muscles. If your horse is losing muscle tone, take note of it.
Look at your horse's face. Are the lips or eyes droopy? EPM can cause partial facial paralysis which will resemble the effects of a stroke. EPM can also cause seizures.
Watch your horse while she eats. Take note if she is having any difficulty eating. Horses with EPM may have trouble swallowing their food.
Watch your horse when he is at rest. EPM will cause a horse to become off-balance. Horses with EPM will often stand as if they are afraid of falling. The more noticeable this is, the more severe the EPM.
Take your horse to the vet for a blood or spinal fluid test to test for EPM. EPM can disguise itself as so many other ailments that a blood or spinal fluid test is the only way to know for sure that a horse has EPM.
How to Detect EPM in Horses
Equine protozoal myelo-encephalitis (EPM) is a neurological disease in horses caused primarily by the parasite Sarcocystis neurona, which is carried by birds and then picked up by opossums. Horses become infected when they come into contact with feed or water that has been contaminated with infected opossum feces. They can also become infected by grazing in areas where opossums have defecated. EPM can be debilitating for horses. In the majority of cases, those treated for EPM make a full recovery, but treatment can be expensive.