Rushtawin - thinking of you and keeping you and the mare in my thoughts. We've had abcesses but nothing that sounds this severe.
C
Pictures Too!: Update on the girls
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster, madelyn
Last night, I went down to the farm with my uncle. Took her out of the paddock, and her temperatures for the day were 100.4 at 9:15 a.m. and 100.8 at 9:45 p.m. I left the foot unwrapped for the night, which turned out to be a bad idea, because though the ichthammol (spelling?) still drew out the abscess even more, it also made a lot of debris stick, which I found today when my mom and her bf drove me down to the barn.
Babe's standing wrap had slid down (because the swelling on her lower leg seemed to have gone down), so I took that off. I took her temperature for today, it was 103.5 this afternoon, because she hadn't been fed until I showed up, thus not getting her morning dose of antibiotics and bute... so I hosed her down repeatedly, especially the areas where the major blood vessels are, and that didn't drop her temperature.
I took the debris and ichthammol off her coronary band using cotton balls, soaked her in Epsom salts, flushed out that area, then soaked her in a boric acid solution. After rinsing off the wound since she pawed and got a dirt into it, I re-poulticed the abscess as recommended and re-bandaged the foot after cold hosing the leg and hosing her body down again. Then I reapplied her standing wrap.
I took her temperature again, and it hadn't dropped. So she got the 500# dose of banamine, per the vet's directions, and I'm about to call the farm to see what her night time temperature is.
Overall, I'm glad the swelling's slowly going down, and that although the abscess is 'the worst' the vet's ever seen, Babe seemed to be responding to the antibiotics yesterday when the fever was gone. She's still in good spirits, though as my mom pointed out, you can tell she's not feeling well because she tires quickly and almost fell asleep in our arms as I was hosing her down today when her fever was up. And she was limping a bit less today than yesterday.
So I guess we're making some semblance of progress... I'm planning to go down to care for her again tomorrow after I get out of my first day at my primary summer job. I'll have pictures of us later, though I don't know where my digital camera is so I don't have pictures of the abscess. It's longer than my index finger and a bit wider, yellow and spongy and warm.
Babe's standing wrap had slid down (because the swelling on her lower leg seemed to have gone down), so I took that off. I took her temperature for today, it was 103.5 this afternoon, because she hadn't been fed until I showed up, thus not getting her morning dose of antibiotics and bute... so I hosed her down repeatedly, especially the areas where the major blood vessels are, and that didn't drop her temperature.
I took the debris and ichthammol off her coronary band using cotton balls, soaked her in Epsom salts, flushed out that area, then soaked her in a boric acid solution. After rinsing off the wound since she pawed and got a dirt into it, I re-poulticed the abscess as recommended and re-bandaged the foot after cold hosing the leg and hosing her body down again. Then I reapplied her standing wrap.
I took her temperature again, and it hadn't dropped. So she got the 500# dose of banamine, per the vet's directions, and I'm about to call the farm to see what her night time temperature is.
Overall, I'm glad the swelling's slowly going down, and that although the abscess is 'the worst' the vet's ever seen, Babe seemed to be responding to the antibiotics yesterday when the fever was gone. She's still in good spirits, though as my mom pointed out, you can tell she's not feeling well because she tires quickly and almost fell asleep in our arms as I was hosing her down today when her fever was up. And she was limping a bit less today than yesterday.
So I guess we're making some semblance of progress... I'm planning to go down to care for her again tomorrow after I get out of my first day at my primary summer job. I'll have pictures of us later, though I don't know where my digital camera is so I don't have pictures of the abscess. It's longer than my index finger and a bit wider, yellow and spongy and warm.
"The best things in life are worth waiting for"
Yeah, so, there are things I can't update about because several people would tattle if I did... and the last thing I need at the moment is stupid politics.
Okay, so the long and short of it all, originally was going to take her into Oakencroft Clinic today, and cancelled it in lieu of a 2nd opinion on an emergency call. The 2nd opinion literally voiced every facet of what'd I'd already said and made my mind up on... and confirmed my desire for x-rays. Through the clinic I'd chosen, of course. In summation, an x-ray showing osteoarthritis, bone degeneration, or a rotated coffin bone will force me to have to choose euthanasia.
The x-rays are tomorrow.
I'm scared to death of what they might find.
I hope they come back clean.
And that's all I'm writing this hour.
Okay, so the long and short of it all, originally was going to take her into Oakencroft Clinic today, and cancelled it in lieu of a 2nd opinion on an emergency call. The 2nd opinion literally voiced every facet of what'd I'd already said and made my mind up on... and confirmed my desire for x-rays. Through the clinic I'd chosen, of course. In summation, an x-ray showing osteoarthritis, bone degeneration, or a rotated coffin bone will force me to have to choose euthanasia.
The x-rays are tomorrow.
I'm scared to death of what they might find.
I hope they come back clean.
And that's all I'm writing this hour.
"The best things in life are worth waiting for"
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Sunday Rider
- Allowance Winner
- Posts: 255
- Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:59 am
- Location: Virginia
Thank you all for the thoughts and support.
Our first rainbow was during the tail end of the thunderstorms I requested a few days ago... that was on our way to the farm, we live an hour away.
Babe was euthanized after being sedated enough to lay her down last night at approximately 7:45PM. There was nothing the vets could do to save her. Two different clinics examined her and helped us through the last week for the total of 3 daytime and 3 emergency vet visits. The infection she had was only discovered upon x-rays the day before yesterday, though we'd been treating her with antibiotics since her fever began, whatever it was created gaseous holes in her cannon and coffin bones.
I miss her, but made the right choice. She never once gave up her good spirits, and ate every time I showed up to take care of her. Her last heartbeat ended with a full rainbow. Kneeling behind her neck, I held her until the agonal breaths had passed and the vet confirmed no heartbeat. I miss spending time with her, there wasn't anything I regretted about her during our time together, and even knowing the outcome, wouldn't trade the time she spent with me for anything.
That's all I'm writing about for now, but I figured I'd cover the basics - the diagnosis, outcome, and the uncontrollable storms that painted the sky with her rainbow.
Our first rainbow was during the tail end of the thunderstorms I requested a few days ago... that was on our way to the farm, we live an hour away.
Babe was euthanized after being sedated enough to lay her down last night at approximately 7:45PM. There was nothing the vets could do to save her. Two different clinics examined her and helped us through the last week for the total of 3 daytime and 3 emergency vet visits. The infection she had was only discovered upon x-rays the day before yesterday, though we'd been treating her with antibiotics since her fever began, whatever it was created gaseous holes in her cannon and coffin bones.
I miss her, but made the right choice. She never once gave up her good spirits, and ate every time I showed up to take care of her. Her last heartbeat ended with a full rainbow. Kneeling behind her neck, I held her until the agonal breaths had passed and the vet confirmed no heartbeat. I miss spending time with her, there wasn't anything I regretted about her during our time together, and even knowing the outcome, wouldn't trade the time she spent with me for anything.
That's all I'm writing about for now, but I figured I'd cover the basics - the diagnosis, outcome, and the uncontrollable storms that painted the sky with her rainbow.
"The best things in life are worth waiting for"
-
Sunday Rider
- Allowance Winner
- Posts: 255
- Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:59 am
- Location: Virginia
Oh sweetie - I am so terribly sorry - I've followed your posts and cheered you and the mare on and now this! How lucky she was to have had you to love and care for her and to be with her at the end. And how very brave you are to be able to do the right thing for your friend. You have earned your angel wings and you'll fly with Babe again. My heart breaks for you - I know how tough a decision it was.
"We are the people our parents warned us about" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
Thank you all...
http://cobleskill.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011882&l=84647&id=71400682
That has pics of her the day beforehand, the rainbow on the way to the farm, the sky after the storms, me being a mess, her rainbow, my unique vantage point that the farm put me on (Trigger), and yesterday's lesson with my trainer and a few images of her schooling the Gypsies. There are a few pics I haven't gotten from my mom's camera yet, but I'll post that link later.
http://cobleskill.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011882&l=84647&id=71400682
That has pics of her the day beforehand, the rainbow on the way to the farm, the sky after the storms, me being a mess, her rainbow, my unique vantage point that the farm put me on (Trigger), and yesterday's lesson with my trainer and a few images of her schooling the Gypsies. There are a few pics I haven't gotten from my mom's camera yet, but I'll post that link later.
"The best things in life are worth waiting for"