My sweet Matt and myself are in need of some help.
This past Saturday I arrive at the barn for work, and the girl I work with comes to tell me that Matt is cast in his stall. We were able to get him back on his feet and he immediately urinates, and rubs on his face, behind one elbow, and a swollen knee tell me he had been down for a while. I take him for a short walk to work out the stiffness, and give him his hay cubes once he’s back in his stall. He doesn’t touch them. Offer him some grain; same, won’t touch. Then he starts looking at his sides. I immediately call the vet. Aside from dehydration, he had an impaction and gas, and an elevated heart rate. The vet tubed him and gave anti-gas, electrolytes, and mineral oil. When she left, his gut sounds and hydration had improved, so I was hopeful. Once the sedation wore off, he was back to looking at his sides. He laid down once, but there was no rolling. The vet came back and he lost gut sounds and the gas had returned, the impaction hadn’t moved, heart rate was still high. The call was made to take him to the vet hospital.
When the vet called me, he said there was free fluid in his abdomen and significant dehydration, but he was quiet and showing no obvious signs of discomfort. Sunday and Monday go by with no improvement. Monday late afternoon the vet suggests the drug Metoclopramide to stimulate gut motility. We start that, as well as the decision to give him another 24 hours.
I saw him this morning, and the horse standing in that stall wasn’t my boy. I know he’s feeling like crap, but it was like I wasn’t even there. Sure he rubbed on me a little, but that was probably because he was irritated by the tube in his nose. I rubbed on him, hugged him, and he just stood there, head down low. He has passed manure that was in front the impaction, but the impaction its self is still there, and his hydration levels has only slightly improved. I got to take him for a walk outside and he was just so week, it looked like he was about to fall down, and when we passed the doors, he just wanted to go back to his stall.
The vet will be calling soon, and I know I have a choice to make. He’s 29, strong and healthy, but I refuse to put him through surgery and the vet agrees with me on that, and I don’t want to wait too long and something catastrophic happens like his intestine ruptures.
At this point, the jingles are more for myself then him.
. Sending you light and love.
