Overall, my horse has been doing great since I adopted her in December. My riding trainer became her new trainer after switching barns again (Oct 1st) and once again, she's the trainer's favorite. They're taking their time getting to know each other, and my trainer keeps a watchful eye on her legs and overall health since I can only get up there about once a week.
Can someone convince my horse to stop copycatting me? (Silly horse) Not even a week after me getting out of a wheelchair early because of spraining both ankles pretty badly, I got a phone call from the boarding facility, stating that she's lethargic, "not herself", and partially lame in her LF and RH. I was glad they called, and though I had a pretty bad stomach bug, (which I seemed to have conquered yesterday) I managed to get my friend to drive me up to the barn (about a half hour from campus).
The vet came within 45 minutes of me calling yesterday and did flexion tests, which my horse passed, we drew a CBC for white blood cell counts and protein levels, drew a Lyme's titer, and since the vet was already out, I had her pull my horse's Coggins. And for the first time in at least the year I've owned her, my horse started flipping out when the vet went to pull her bloodwork... minutes before, had been standing with her head about 6" above the ground. When I was in with my horse, she just picked up her head and put it in my arms, though her eyes were bright, and her appetite seems okay and she's still drinking water.
So the vet called me today around 2:15pm to let me know that the WBC count and the protein levels looked fine, and that the lyme snap test came back negative, but that she'd like to know if I'd like it sent to a lab for the more reliable version of the test (I said yes)... essentially, she's on 1g of bute in the AM and PM, with instructions to cold hose and then wrap her LF leg... if she's not improved by Monday, to call the clinic again.
Regardless, if her unsoundness isn't resolved by early next week, I'm calling them out to do complete lameness testing and possibly x-rays... she seems most off in her RH hock - her LF was swollen with some heat, though both pulses seem normal, and her TPR was within acceptable ranges but she did have bute that morning (because of her acting sore the night before) so the vet reminded me that bute could hide a low grade fever.
She'll be getting her fall shots and getting her teeth floated (if needed) within the month anyway - and she's due for a trim and a date with AniMax or whatever the vet prescribed (she seems to keep picking up seasonal fungus/scrapes below her ankles around early November both this year and last year).
The vet handled her very well, and as usual, I highly recommend OakenCroft clinic- very thorough and knowledgeable with great 'bedside manner' - also, colic was ruled out, but it's odd that neither the vet or I could come up with a cause for the lethargy and partial lameness. We're told to call if she gets diarrhea or if her legs aren't showing signs of improvement by Monday.
I'm starting to get worried - I haven't heard anything new from the barn or from my trainer yet. At least I get to see that vet on Tuesdays and Thursdays - she and another vet from that practice teach us Equine Health.
Any insights or opinions? She's vaccinated for Flu/Rhino and I'm not sure what her spring shots consisted of - I know she got them, but the vet clinic hasn't sent a bill.
Update on Babe
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Update on Babe
"The best things in life are worth waiting for"
Could it be a virus? A couple of months ago my horse had something similar: slight lethargy and stocking up badly behind for a couple of days. He pulled out of it without treatment. Some other horses in the barn had gone of their feed, colicked or showed other symptoms, and when the vet was out he said that what my horse had was likely the same virus manifesting itself differently. So I didn't do much besides standing bandages and very light exercise to bring down the swelling.
Younger horses get these things easily, like kids in kindergarten, because they haven't built up immunities. Is it possible the lameness could be from having stiff, swollen joints rather than from an underlying problem.
I hope for your sake it is something that simple, or a cunning abcess that concealed itself from the vet.
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Younger horses get these things easily, like kids in kindergarten, because they haven't built up immunities. Is it possible the lameness could be from having stiff, swollen joints rather than from an underlying problem.
I hope for your sake it is something that simple, or a cunning abcess that concealed itself from the vet.
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