Thursday, October 13, 2011

Sympathy Pains?

Chance is Off

Yesterday morning Chance was dead lame on his right hind.  It was so sad watching him make his painful way into his stall for breakfast.

I did a quick check and found absolutely nothing as far as injury, heat or swelling.  A gave him some Bute and decided to see how he was later in the day.  When I went out in the early afternoon, he was still holding that leg off the floor so I decided to call the vet.

My vet called me in the early evening and told me to give him some more Bute. If if was a soft tissue or joint injury the Bute would improve him. If it was a hoof abscess, it would not do much.

By this morning he was better, but still favoring that leg.  My vet came around 9:30 and after a quick exam decided the most likely cause was a brewing abscess in his hoof.  She is not 100% sure, but flex tests on his main joints did not seem to affect his level of lameness and he was reacting to pressure with the hoof testers.

For now, his hoof is wrapped in animalintex and icthamol.  My big problem is that I am not exactly sound enough myself to change the wrap.  But, my friend Chris who has her horses on the next road over was gracious enough to come over to help out and will come to change the wrap tomorrow for me.

My vet brought her assistant who is just recovering from getting kicked in the jaw by a horse during a vet treatment. She was fortunate that her jaw was not broken, but she is still having headaches and a stiff neck. Today was her first day back in the field, so I was glad Chris was there to hold Chance for part of the exam. The assistant did lead him for the soundness check, but he was a very good boy and remembered his manners so she was OK.

All three Boys got their flu and rhino shots as well, so the visit served a dual purpose.

We are looking for some kind of improvement in Chance by Monday. I'm a bit frustrated that I cannot soak and treat his foot myself, but my knees are not quite up to that kind of bending and hoof holding yet.

Bless my exceptional horse friends who are so willing to help out.  I honestly think of all the people I have ever known in my life, horsemen are the best in sharing and caring when it comes to any problem I have had with a horse. The love for our animals runs deep and there is a bond among us all the rest of the world might never truly comprehend.

6 comments:

  1. Poor Chance. If it's an abscess he'll feel better once it blows out. I know how frustrating it must be not to be able to do everything you used to do just yet.

    You're so right about horse people. I've never seen a group of people so willing to help other horse people when they have a problem with a horse. And I know not every non-horse person could possibly understand why.

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  2. Anonymous8:12 PM

    Poor boy - glad you're getting some help and hope the abscess pops soon.

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  3. Fingers crossed the abscess burst soon!!!

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  4. Poor baby! I hope he gets to feeling better soon.

    Horse people do tend to stick together. There's something about those silly beasts that brings us together. I tolerate a level of crazy from my fellow horse-lovers that I would never tolerate from others. And I'm sure they say the exact same thing about me!

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  5. Sounds like an abscess to me - sudden onset and extreme lameness. Don't you do more that you should!

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  6. you could get a hoof stand to hold the hoof up whilst you do the work may be worth investing in one anyway, for the future, doesn't half save the back! the hoof jack is good, not cheap, but good and long lasting...

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