I felt like cursing
the snow when I looked out my window first thing this morning. Before I opened the curtain, I
sensed that it was there. Ugh! Will this winter ever end?!!! I caught
myself quickly, though, and instead thought about the past 6 days of
fairly good March weather that had made it much easier to care for my 28
year old, ailing horse. She had colicked on Saturday, and if that had
happened in the middle of winter, she most likely wouldn’t have survived. I
probably would have given up.
Once I dressed and headed out to
feed her, though, I found more reasons to count my blessings! The manure
piles I needed to look for, were easier to find! I just had to follow
her tracks in the freshly fallen snow.
The 50 degree
weather that we had days earlier this week had been so very nice and
extremely needed. It made caring for my sick mare far easier. After surviving the long hard winter like the champ she is, she
had started a mild colic suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere. I recognized the signs immediately, after noticing
she hadn’t finished her breakfast. I had given her a dose of Banamine
which I have learned to always keep on hand, for just such occasions.
And then I called the vet. I don’t claim to know all there is about
colic in horses, or any other ailments. I only know what I have lived.
And I had lived that a few times now.
“Do you have any
Banamine to give her?” she asked me after listening to my concerns.
“Yes, I just gave
her a 1000 pound dose,” I responded relieved that my actions were
OK.
“Good!” She
answered excitedly...more relief for me.
Long story short,
the vet that had answered the emergency line, was able to get another vet out to see my horse, Juliee, within a
few hours...It was a longer delay than usual, but I think she wanted to see if Juliee responded to the Banamine and changed
anything. It didn’t by much.
When the vet got to
our place, she did all the things I expected and wanted after
having gone through this a few times with the aging of this horse. It is TMI. Too Much Information! Pretty sure you don't want to hear all that so I
won’t go into it too much.
Before starting all the
treatment, the vet
walked Juliee and took some steps with her to see if she
could determine if anything
else might be occurring. There
were some problems with her
back feet on turning and some stiffness in the neck, but nothing that
really screamed anything neurological. Cautionary relief from me! She
also took a blood sample to see if there might be anything else going
on with her. She then gave just enough
anesthetic to Juliee
to keep her from falling down, while
proceeding
with her treatment.
When her exam and treatment was complete, she cautioned me, “Don’t
feed her anymore tonight, unless she show signs of perking up, and
then just give her a very watery mash.” “Look for
4 or 5 manure piles overnight and call me in the morning,” she instructed. It reminded
me of the old medical solution: “Take two aspirin and call me in
the morning.”
All
kidding aside, this equestrian veterinarian office has always
delivered the best of care and always with patience, concern
and kindness. And they know their stuff. They show as much care for an aging horse like mine, to an expensive race horse.
After
watching her throughout the rest of the day, I noted Juliee wasn’t
really responding as quickly as normal, but I wasn’t overly
concerned. The vet had called
me back within hours of her visit letting me know the blood work was
all normal. I was so
thankful! The next morning, I
was ecstatic. 6 piles! Never have I been so happy at counting poop!
I
gave her her breakfast, but still made
a very watery mash.
No more hay for this girl. She is missing 8 teeth. It will be
strictly a mash
of Timothy/Alfalfa
pellets and a coffee
can container of
Senior Feed.
I
watched her throughout the day, but she just wasn’t bouncing back
as much as I thought she should be. So I made another call to the
vet. They are amazing! Even on a Sunday, they called me back within
minutes. Just enough time for the vet on duty to speak with the vet
who had treated her on Saturday. The vet on Sunday duty spent 40 minutes with me
over the phone, listening patiently to my every concern; answering my
every stupid question. She
was at a slight disadvantage though, as she had never seen the horse
and one can’t always tell just by word of mouth what exactly is going on. I had given them
another disadvantage too. I just couldn’t keep putting a whole lot
of money into this pretty girl who had old
age and no teeth against her.
Plus, I wasn’t sure she could continue to be ridden. So somewhere
along the line, one
has to become practical. I
just couldn’t justify taking her into
the clinic for x-rays, or any
other tests.
“It
may be time to put her down”, the vet gently prepared me. After being
assured it would be alright
to give her another dose of Banamine,
I felt
very thankful that I had the previous
vet leave me another tube
when she was here on Saturday. I hadn’t expected to need it so
soon, because I thought she would bounce back this time like she did
the other times. I now had 4 doses of
the medicine left.
I told the vet I would give
her a dose and see how she
was by evening. If she
hadn’t improved by then, I
would call for euthanasia. I
was prepared and ready mentally after
speaking with her. I
thought.
But
low and behold, Juliee
had other plans...or at least
the medicine did. I saw a
bounce back. She got her wet,
soggy mash that evening,
instead of a shot to euthanize.
I
can be the worst worrier. I worry so much, that sometimes I tell God,
“Could you just count my worry as prayer? I really mean it as
prayer.” ;-) And of course
I asked family for prayer and a friend I knew would understand giving
a 28 year old, toothless horse every opportunity. Those prayers would see us through.
Morning
came once again, and she looked good. But after breakfast, she went
down hill for a third time. This was now Monday. I
made another call to the vet.
They are saints who helped me tremendously on this roller coaster
ride. The vet that saw her
originally, had a day off. The one who I had talked with on Sunday,
was tied up all day, but she
asked her assistant to
call me back and within minutes, I received her call. The
assistant also listened
carefully to my concerns. She couldn’t medically advise me, but I
gathered it would be
perfectly alright for another
dose of Banamine. And then
she helped me make
a plan for an over the phone appointment for Tuesday morning with the original vet who had seen her physically. I
wasn’t as worried now, because I knew the Banamine was getting her
through the last 3 days for
basically 24 hours each
dose. We would be OK.
Yes. Both Juliee
and me.
All
the while, I would continue to give wet soggy meals, 4 times a day
instead of two. And I would continue to count poop. The
colic was behind us, but I wanted to be sure it wouldn’t happen
again. That was more for me,
than for Juliee or the vet. I wanted to be sure she was not
getting bound up again. I
continued to take her warm, grain flavored water to be sure she was
getting enough fluid and I continued to worry and pray.
Tuesday
morning came. The vet called
exactly as planned. Of course I missed the call. But it wasn’t long
before she called me back again. I apologized for being such a lame
brain; for taking so much of their time and who knows what else I pleaded for forgiveness. She
could not have been more gracious. She had a new
plan, if I was agreeable:
Seven days of a Steroid taper. It should help with anything
neurological; or it would also help if it was an injury of some type. I could pick it up
at the clinic
that afternoon, and start it either in the evening or the next
morning. I opted to give my girl another dose of Banamine, knowing by now
that would get her through the night, and preferring to start a new
med in the morning,
so that I could more easily
monitor.
Just
as a humorous side note:
Juliee likes to fight me a bit when I give her her medicine. I hold
her head back to make sure she takes the full dose. But on this day, she was
so agreeable with taking the med, I was sure she had received the
full amount. But the stinker got the best of me! The moment I let go
of her halter, she spit out the pretty white paste all over my jacket.
But
back to the new med. I am
a wimp. I can’t do injections, so I opted for the liquid form of
the taper. But
now I was going to worry if I could get her to take the entire dose
without messing up somehow. You know, me the worrier. First dose went great. But I didn’t
notice a change in her
behavior as quickly as I did
with the Banamine,
and now I couldn’t remember how long the vet told me it should take
before it would start to work and I would see some changes.
Needless,
worry. By evening she was doing great. I think we found a solution! I
had
told the vet if she didn’t regress after she had
taken
the full 7 days, I could give her the rest of the summer to live out
the last of her days in the sunshine and
green pasture. However, I wouldn’t
put her through another agonizing winter. It is just too hard on her
at her age. If she regressed, I would put her down at the end of the
7 days. She had also given
me the option of a daily dose to get her through the summer. But
I wasn’t sure my husband would agree to that kind of expense for an
aged, toothless horse that I could
no longer ride…
But
if we did continue with meds,
she could be buried here. The
ground is too frozen now, and she would have to be hauled away. You
do not want to know where. But
I think that thought did the trick in
convincing hubby. He
saw the sense in having her safely buried in the pasture. We
would know we did all we could and we could keep her with us...and it would probably be less expensive.
The emotions of this ordeal have been trying to say the least. But more than that, the care I have been able to provide, has given me the
feeling I needed to absorb – to know I had done my very best. “A
righteous man (or woman) regardeth the life of their beast.”
Now, on this 7th day of illness, and 3rd day of taper, Juliee is once again waiting at the gate for her dinner, just as
has always been her habit. I honestly believe she will make it. I will continue to do what I
have been doing and we will ride this one out to the very end. (The
circumstance, not the horse – I am afraid those days are behind her.)
Horses
lives matter….and apparently so do old, gray mares...even this one.
Because a whole lot of people
stood with me in prayer, some very compassionate vets gave her the very best
of care, and a benevolent, gracious God was faithful answering my request. Hubby said yes. I
must matter, too. ;-)
