Michen
Well-Known Member
Atlas says thanks for the check book mum 
Boggle- USA bound!
- Thread starter Michen
- Start date
poacher82
Well-Known Member
Wonderful news, well done you and Atlas!!!
Michen
Well-Known Member
Positive for EPM albeit low but now I need to continue to treat so another 2.5k as you need to do 3 months, annoying. I could switch him to another FDA approved med which would be only $600 butā¦ Iād never forgive myself if he relapsed. Itās considered almost as good but not quite as good.
Also lifelong maintenance really. Urgh. He must have been exposed literally just when it happened, and his body hadnāt had time to create enough antibodies to show on the test. Yet not a single other horse in the barn has symptoms- of course it would be mine!
Thank GOD for my Colorado vet who said get him on the Marquis asap, thank goodness I drove to Phoenix to get it and did the loading dose and spent the money for more meds and retests even though no one here thought it was remotely likely.
And very very grateful he made such a quick recovery, my friend vet did say all along it was possible.
No news on that work deal and I could really do with it now haha!
Anyway that was whiny. The important thing is he is ok, he is great, itās all very manageable with some dollar and the right meds to treat and then maintain.
Iām heaving back to Tucson tomorrow from San Diego where Iāve been all week and canāt wait to see my cheeky little chap and get him back out in the pasture with his mates!
Also lifelong maintenance really. Urgh. He must have been exposed literally just when it happened, and his body hadnāt had time to create enough antibodies to show on the test. Yet not a single other horse in the barn has symptoms- of course it would be mine!
Thank GOD for my Colorado vet who said get him on the Marquis asap, thank goodness I drove to Phoenix to get it and did the loading dose and spent the money for more meds and retests even though no one here thought it was remotely likely.
And very very grateful he made such a quick recovery, my friend vet did say all along it was possible.
No news on that work deal and I could really do with it now haha!
Anyway that was whiny. The important thing is he is ok, he is great, itās all very manageable with some dollar and the right meds to treat and then maintain.
Iām heaving back to Tucson tomorrow from San Diego where Iāve been all week and canāt wait to see my cheeky little chap and get him back out in the pasture with his mates!
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Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
I'm so happy that he's bouncing back.
How do they think he got EPM? AZ and CO aren't exactly hotbeds of opossum activity. Contaminated feed? Did he find the one opossum in AZ? Did he pick it up in MN before you bought him?In my experience, most people in the western states don't really think of EPM as a problem they need to be all that aware of, but if it's becoming more of a thing due to climate change or whatever else, then I don't know...it should get more on the radar.
How do they think he got EPM? AZ and CO aren't exactly hotbeds of opossum activity. Contaminated feed? Did he find the one opossum in AZ? Did he pick it up in MN before you bought him?In my experience, most people in the western states don't really think of EPM as a problem they need to be all that aware of, but if it's becoming more of a thing due to climate change or whatever else, then I don't know...it should get more on the radar.
Michen
Well-Known Member
Who knows but my Co vet says it IS common here. She grew up here. So do the EPM groups. South Arizona seems to have possums.
He had to pick it up here because of the negative result that turned positive 3 weeks later. Whether it was from an actual possum or it came in on the hay from elsewhere who knows.
Michen
Well-Known Member
And Atlas is actually an hour south of Tucson even closer to Mexico.
CanteringCarrot
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah, those things are seemingly everywhere. Tons in the Midwest too. They'd be fine if it weren't for EPM!
Michen
Well-Known Member
Little s***s!
Anyway, in some ways itās kinda nice to have a diagnosis. And wow I am lucky, the number of horses that recover completely really isnāt all that high. Marquis says 1-2 neuro grades improvement can be expected and Atlas went from 4 to 0.
Lucky, lucky little horse. And owner.
Anyway, in some ways itās kinda nice to have a diagnosis. And wow I am lucky, the number of horses that recover completely really isnāt all that high. Marquis says 1-2 neuro grades improvement can be expected and Atlas went from 4 to 0.
Lucky, lucky little horse. And owner.
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
Is there a vaccine or anything? Or is it just a hope for the best thing?
I don't recall being concerned in CO, but we were in MA. Horse never got it, but I knew a few out east who did.
I don't recall being concerned in CO, but we were in MA. Horse never got it, but I knew a few out east who did.
Michen
Well-Known Member
No thereās no vaccine. Most horses donāt get it, I believe over half of USA horses will show a titer but no symptoms. Itās unlucky.
Michen
Well-Known Member
Wow I woke up realizing just how close a call this could have been. The only reason I retested and continued the meds despite the initial negative test was because of my kick ass friend. The advice here was that negative was negative so not EPM.
I truly think she saved his life/outcome by being all over and involved in his case and making sure absolutely every step taken was correct.
Not the vet hereās fault btw, this is my friends speciality, but thank goodness. Without her Iād have pulled him off the EPM meds as soon as we got the negative result and the chances are he would not have made a full recovery or maybe even one at all, Iād have gone down the neck investigation route or PTS. But she was so convinced from the video what it was, and obviously knows more the nuances of how it can present with an initial negative.
Phew.
I truly think she saved his life/outcome by being all over and involved in his case and making sure absolutely every step taken was correct.
Not the vet hereās fault btw, this is my friends speciality, but thank goodness. Without her Iād have pulled him off the EPM meds as soon as we got the negative result and the chances are he would not have made a full recovery or maybe even one at all, Iād have gone down the neck investigation route or PTS. But she was so convinced from the video what it was, and obviously knows more the nuances of how it can present with an initial negative.
Phew.
palo1
Well-Known Member
That is brilliant work from your vet friend! What is the ongoing maintenance/medication protocol? I'm so pleased gorgeous Atlas is doing so well.
Michen
Well-Known Member
Yes! She is awesome. Sheās coming out to Tucson next week so Iāll be able to take her for a very nice dinner! So another two months of the full treatment then the maintenance stuff which is optional is protazil at around $200 a month. Plus vitamin E for life which heād be on most of the year anyway.
The thing you have to be careful of is a relapse during periods of stress so thatās where the maintenance stuff comes in handy particularly with any long distance travel.
palo1
Well-Known Member
Yes, I can see that would be wise. Vit E is pretty standard for lots of horses these days but he's lucky you are thinking to do a full maintenance job. What a horrible thing! So many horses must be badly affected if it's not caught in time or where they don't recover fully/relapse badly. Blimey. Horses eh?! Your vet friend will deserve that good dinner
Slightlyconfused
Go away, I'm reading
How are you and Atlas doing?
Michen
Well-Known Member
Hi! All good here thanks for checking in. The cheeky chap is back out in the pasture and happy for it. Iām just leaving him be at the moment as whilst he may be on paper fully recovered neurologically itās still not been a nice time for him so he can chill out for a bit.
I have an insane work/play travel schedule for the next 6 weeks so Iāll pick him up again after that.
His amazing color is really coming through, I wish I could photograph the glittery flecks that run through his coat. Itās really cool, like heās metallic.
I have an insane work/play travel schedule for the next 6 weeks so Iāll pick him up again after that.
His amazing color is really coming through, I wish I could photograph the glittery flecks that run through his coat. Itās really cool, like heās metallic.
ycbm
Overwhelmed
Michen
Well-Known Member
Itās the irrigation system!
Michen
Well-Known Member
Here is Pepper last week, 50 minutes outside San Diego. We found proper snow! She was thrilled. We went from 20 degrees and a sunny beach to hiking in the snow to the desert in 6 hours of driving. Unreal.
Then back to sunbathing in Arizona.
Then back to sunbathing in Arizona.
Britestar
Well-Known Member
Did you land your work deal?
Michen
Well-Known Member
Nope, they totally ghosted us in the most bizarre way that I've ever experienced in 13 years of sales.
Very, very annoying/frustrating.
Very, very annoying/frustrating.
Michen
Well-Known Member
What do you think you goofy little thing, shall we head āhomeā? 
Riding the rollercoaster that is life still and trying to figure out what the next 6 months looks like and where!
Riding the rollercoaster that is life still and trying to figure out what the next 6 months looks like and where!
Peglo
Well-Known Member
I do hope you keep us up to date when you can, wherever your rollercoaster takes you.
He is such a beautiful colour.
He is such a beautiful colour.
ycbm
Overwhelmed
I've seen that happen when someone very senior in the company has a supplier they're adamant has to get the contract, but the company rules mean that they have to put it to competition. They then ensure that the company they want to win gets all the information they need to win, and in order not to have to explain to the others why they lost (because they'd realise they didn't lose fairly) they simply ghost them. You've probably come across that kind of thing before, working in sales at your level, but I thought I'd mention it in case it keeps running round your head that you must have done something wrong.
What do you think you goofy little thing, shall we head āhomeā?
Riding the rollercoaster that is life still and trying to figure out what the next 6 months looks like and where!
Is "home" the UK?
.
Equi
Well-Known Member
Is the snow gone from Colorado then? Would you be back at your barn or have you found somewhere else?
Glad he is doing well and I hope you enjoyed your winter break
Glad he is doing well and I hope you enjoyed your winter break
myheartinahoofbeat
Well-Known Member
He's such a stunner.
What do you mean, head home? Back to Colorado?
What do you mean, head home? Back to Colorado?
Michen
Well-Known Member
Home to Colorado, I need to go re write the sadness there and back to my barn.
A few things kind of fell into place and it just feels like the right thing to go back. Albeit I think Iāll probably end the year in California, I donāt know.
And thanks ycbm itās been a really rubbish sales year so far but is what it is, the highs and lows of the job!
A few things kind of fell into place and it just feels like the right thing to go back. Albeit I think Iāll probably end the year in California, I donāt know.
And thanks ycbm itās been a really rubbish sales year so far but is what it is, the highs and lows of the job!
ycbm
Overwhelmed
You're welcome. I was external technical advisor on a competitive purchase process once and I resigned the contract and told them it was the most unethical thing I'd ever been asked to participate in. They had decided the winner before either of the other two walked in the door to do their presentations. They didn't give a toss about the amount of work or the costs involved in tendering for a piece of work. This was a not insignificant finance company. Not quite household name but not far off.
.
j1ffy
Well-Known Member
Sadly it happens all the time. As a business owner myself I have learned the hard way to qualify each potential tender very carefully and very thoroughly. Many organisations don't give a second thought to the effort bidders have to put into tenders and happily waste the time of multiple organisations (then complain at the 'margins' we aim for - we have cover the cost of the tenders somehow and neither I nor my leadership team do tenders for the fun of it!).
Sorry Michen, totally off-topic but it sounds like you feel the same pain...
Michen
Well-Known Member
Oh yes it's totally rubbish but this is part of my world, most of our sales cycles are formal RFPs. But I've never had one behave quite like this, it's been really bizarre.. usually when they stop talking it's because they are negotiating terms with another vendor but this just doesn't really make sense in this situation or the timing but who knows. I'd guess we've put nearing 100k into this client at this point.
Sales has been tricky this year but that's the nature of the game and you have to be resilient for a career in this. The losses truly hurt, not just financially but from what you put into them mentally. Sometimes I miss software sales, quick and dirty and move on! This particular client has been an 18 month process.
Anyway, life is being kind right now in other ways so I'll take that
Sales has been tricky this year but that's the nature of the game and you have to be resilient for a career in this. The losses truly hurt, not just financially but from what you put into them mentally. Sometimes I miss software sales, quick and dirty and move on! This particular client has been an 18 month process.
Anyway, life is being kind right now in other ways so I'll take that