This is interesting to read about because we always thought our survivor was a little off mentally as well…but he was also always on the heavily quirky side, so we really just made the comments in a joking way. Maybe there was more truth to it then we joked about.
I worked on a Clyde farm and we had one of the geldings get bit in the face by a rattlesnake(directly between the nostrils). We had to trach him so he could breathe and I was put in charge of doing IV banamine twice a day. Well, horse went down two days into the fiasco, and we couldn’t get him up, but I still was instructed to give it. I’m no vet…and doing an IV injection on a down horse is not easy. Sure enough, hit the artery - horse seized and died. Now I have near panic attacks at the thought of doing IV Banamine. I’ve done it once since then, but most of the time I give it orally to save myself from the sheer terror of the possibility of ever having to watch that happen again. So, this is me…real life example of ‘that person’ who did it wrong.
My horse’s congition was impacted. I feel sure of that.
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Ugh, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.
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Oh my gosh it absolutely made me tear up to hear about the 29 year old - that is so sweet.
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It presented first as maybe an abscess on a front hoof, the next day as if he was trying to abscess or founder on his front hooves because he was rocking back and bracing. Those were just my hunches having not seen a neruo horse before. The vet nailed it when I unloaded him from the trailer. I think my guy was the third case in the county.
I don’t do IV shots either because I feel like that is one of those skills that you need to do 1000 of them to feel pretty confident giving them. 
Aww dang, you were doing your very, very best to help the horse. I’m sorry that happened to you and the horse.
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I feel the same.
The year my horse got WNV he was one of only two cases in the entire Commonwealth of PA. He had come up from GA a couple months before and had been vaccinated there for several years (where vaccinating for WNV was pretty standard) before coming to PA where vaccinating for WNV was newer. I’m just “lucky” I guess.
I also had a horse get very very sick with colitis many years later that did not swab positive for, but that I am nonetheless am convinced WAS, salmonella. I seem to have a knack for the random.
I’ve known 3. None my own.
One was unvaccinated, she was i.d.’d quickly and supportive care given. She returned to full work with no complications.
One was vaccination status unknown. She was very young and already neurological not normal when diagnosed. She had to be euthanized.
One I can’t remember the vaccination status of. He recovered fine and continued his low level job for years before dying of something else.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the cases you witnessed, I really appreciate it! <3
