Phebes

We could use some horse prayers.  Last night Phebes came up with her lower lip hanging, some kind of paralysis.  We don't know at this point if she has contracted something such as EPM, or if she has had a trauma to her face that has caused a nerve injury, her blood work came back normal except for her muscle enzymes, which are off the charts so high, but no physical symptoms of a tie-up.  Phebes has been out of work for two years.  I thought I'd let her "just be a horse" and have time to recover.   She also has swellings in front of both udders, hard tight swellings.  Her coordination is good, but she can't pick up hay as she has no control of her lower lip.  The vet is trying some things, thinking the lip looks somewhat swollen, and the chin hot and slightly swollen.  She's never seen the off the chart blood values (concerning the muscle enzymes) on a horse before.  We are currently doing a banamine / bute rotation, a course of anti-biotics as a precautionary measure, and I have to watch for any further decline concerning the paralysis of her lower lip.  If things get worse we have to consider EPM, and then I will have to make the hard decision of do I undertake the expensive treatment for EPM for a horse with apparently a  chronic muscle disorder, a mild uveitis, with an uncertain outcome should it be EPM.  My beautiful mare.  What a difficult life she has had.  I love her so much.  But love doesn't fix too many things.  I'll keep you all posted.