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| Someone is looking decidedly chunky. |
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| Angel's second ride on Monday. |
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
Re-thinking things
Warning: rambling nonsense ahead...
First, Ruby's wound finally closed up the day before yesterday...then she started developing proud flesh *insert maniacal laughing here as I slowly lose my mind*. Called the vet and asked for his suggestion; he told me to use Underwoods Medicine and the proud flesh was visibly reduced the next day. Awesome, and one less vet bill for me, woohoo!
Speaking of vet bills, and certain horses, these recent events have hammered into my hard head that it's probably not the best idea to get another horse at this point in time. Yes, I could afford another horse, but could I afford another horse like Ruby? Not without scraping the very bottom of the money barrel, which would be highly irresponsible and, let's face it, extremely selfish. No second horse for me and that's okay.
So, what of endurance? At this point in time, there's no way to know that Ruby will hold up. What I do know is that rushing anything will probably result in a spectacular crash-and-burn scenario. The recent Rolex horse who had to be put down after a re-injury to his suspensory puts this into clear perspective for me. What am I getting at exactly?
I'm downgrading my goals and temporarily setting even the consideration of certain things aside. I'm going to bring Ruby back slowly. so. very. slowly. I'm going to set up regular appointments with the chiro, I'm going to buy some ice boots and use them religiously, I'm going to teach Ruby to carry herself correctly (a first for me, to do this level of training). Trail rides will be very short and slow, with the only goal to have a happy, sound horse at the end of it.
So we'll be riding, but no long or strenuous rides. Maybe this winter we'll go to a few poker rides or participate in parades. I'd like to go to some of the local fun shows; maybe enter some walk-trot equitation or halter classes. Assuming she stays sound, I'll up the ante in the fall of 2016 (training-level dressage, hunter pace, maybe an intro ride). If she doesn't, I'll get her fetlock ultrasounded and x-rayed and see what, if anything, can be done then.
First, Ruby's wound finally closed up the day before yesterday...then she started developing proud flesh *insert maniacal laughing here as I slowly lose my mind*. Called the vet and asked for his suggestion; he told me to use Underwoods Medicine and the proud flesh was visibly reduced the next day. Awesome, and one less vet bill for me, woohoo!
Speaking of vet bills, and certain horses, these recent events have hammered into my hard head that it's probably not the best idea to get another horse at this point in time. Yes, I could afford another horse, but could I afford another horse like Ruby? Not without scraping the very bottom of the money barrel, which would be highly irresponsible and, let's face it, extremely selfish. No second horse for me and that's okay.
So, what of endurance? At this point in time, there's no way to know that Ruby will hold up. What I do know is that rushing anything will probably result in a spectacular crash-and-burn scenario. The recent Rolex horse who had to be put down after a re-injury to his suspensory puts this into clear perspective for me. What am I getting at exactly?
I'm downgrading my goals and temporarily setting even the consideration of certain things aside. I'm going to bring Ruby back slowly. so. very. slowly. I'm going to set up regular appointments with the chiro, I'm going to buy some ice boots and use them religiously, I'm going to teach Ruby to carry herself correctly (a first for me, to do this level of training). Trail rides will be very short and slow, with the only goal to have a happy, sound horse at the end of it.
So we'll be riding, but no long or strenuous rides. Maybe this winter we'll go to a few poker rides or participate in parades. I'd like to go to some of the local fun shows; maybe enter some walk-trot equitation or halter classes. Assuming she stays sound, I'll up the ante in the fall of 2016 (training-level dressage, hunter pace, maybe an intro ride). If she doesn't, I'll get her fetlock ultrasounded and x-rayed and see what, if anything, can be done then.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Videos related to rescues
I may or may not have shared this first video in the past. Ruby makes at least three appearances, including two close-ups, even though she isn't a mustang. Oh, and did you see Abby?
This one was recently done for Hope Equine Rescue, the folks down the road from Heather.
The mare shown in this video is a 16 yo TB mare. She has it all: well-broke, quiet, sound, and she's beautiful with lovely movement. Don't make the mistake of assuming that rescues only have old, broken-down horses - most rescue horses just fell into the wrong person's hands. If you don't plan to breed, why not give a rescue horse a shot? Many respectable rescues (if not all) will allow or even insist on a long trial period, so you have nothing to lose.
This one was recently done for Hope Equine Rescue, the folks down the road from Heather.
The mare shown in this video is a 16 yo TB mare. She has it all: well-broke, quiet, sound, and she's beautiful with lovely movement. Don't make the mistake of assuming that rescues only have old, broken-down horses - most rescue horses just fell into the wrong person's hands. If you don't plan to breed, why not give a rescue horse a shot? Many respectable rescues (if not all) will allow or even insist on a long trial period, so you have nothing to lose.
Gag-worthy pics to follow
You have been warned.
Ruby is definitely better, though it doesn't appear that the wound is going to close anytime soon. Bloody pus continually oozes from it, but the smell has gone away so I'll take it as a good sign. The flesh at the edge of the wound, and inside the wound, still looks alive and healthy. Ruby is moving freely, even offering to trot this morning when she was out grazing.
Over the last few days, I noticed something within the wound itself that seemed to be blocking both the water and the Synbiont. It would move around a bit and didn't seem to be attached (definitely was not tissue) but would not flush out so yesterday I got brave and pulled on it a bit. Ruby didn't seem to mind so I continued to pull, and pull...and pull. Until this came out.
I flushed the wound with water, and got the syringe to squirt the Synbiont into it. This morning I pulled out another little gob of gross-ness - looks like it's going to be an everyday thing for a while.
Now, an updated pic of the wound itself. This is from this morning before doctoring. Yes, this is better than this past weekend, so it kind of gives you an idea of just how bad things got.
It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but the swelling is almost non-existent compared to before. Around the wound itself is slightly swollen, and there is still a little swelling below the wound. The fluid sacks on the bottom of her chest are nearly gone. I've been cleaning around and below the wound with soap and water in the morning, but the skin below the wound is peeling, probably due to being constantly wet from wound drainage. I have Desitined the area a few times but it doesn't seem to make much difference as it doesn't last between doctorings. I meant to get a picture after I got it cleaned up, but totally forgot. I'll try to get one this afternoon or tomorrow.
Ruby is definitely better, though it doesn't appear that the wound is going to close anytime soon. Bloody pus continually oozes from it, but the smell has gone away so I'll take it as a good sign. The flesh at the edge of the wound, and inside the wound, still looks alive and healthy. Ruby is moving freely, even offering to trot this morning when she was out grazing.
Over the last few days, I noticed something within the wound itself that seemed to be blocking both the water and the Synbiont. It would move around a bit and didn't seem to be attached (definitely was not tissue) but would not flush out so yesterday I got brave and pulled on it a bit. Ruby didn't seem to mind so I continued to pull, and pull...and pull. Until this came out.
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| Three to four inches of...what? I have no freaking idea, but it was NASTY. |
Now, an updated pic of the wound itself. This is from this morning before doctoring. Yes, this is better than this past weekend, so it kind of gives you an idea of just how bad things got.
It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but the swelling is almost non-existent compared to before. Around the wound itself is slightly swollen, and there is still a little swelling below the wound. The fluid sacks on the bottom of her chest are nearly gone. I've been cleaning around and below the wound with soap and water in the morning, but the skin below the wound is peeling, probably due to being constantly wet from wound drainage. I have Desitined the area a few times but it doesn't seem to make much difference as it doesn't last between doctorings. I meant to get a picture after I got it cleaned up, but totally forgot. I'll try to get one this afternoon or tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Last injection
Ruby got her last shot of antibiotics (Excede) this morning. My last post may have seemed somewhat melodramatic, but this is a journal as well as a blog, and I write what I feel at the time. All that said, I'm unbelievably grateful that 48-hours later Ruby seems to have done a complete 180. I will continue to flush the wound twice a day until it is fully healed, and vet wants regular updates until she's 100%. Tonight she gets to go back out with her friends, as long as there are no thunderstorms in the forecast. So relieved :)
Monday, June 1, 2015
Yesterday was a tough one
*Quick sidenote, she is still alive.
I left the barn Saturday morning, knowing that I wouldn't be able to get back out there until Sunday afternoon at the earliest. This is what happens when hubby has to go out of town for work, and one vehicle is on the fritz (AGAIN!!!). Heather is competent though and knew the drill, and yet I had a nagging feeling. I've had animals my entire life, and I know that many times when they are this sick, they seem to perk up right before the hammer comes down.
And so it was. On Sunday morning, Heather told me that Ruby was not doing well. She hadn't finished her hay from the day before, was in too much pain to graze, and the wound had swollen to an even larger size. She sent me a picture and it was way more awful than the day before. My heart fell, and I thought about my options while I waited for the vet to get out of church. When I called him, he said 'You have three options. You can take her to Surgicare, and they're going to charge you between $10-15K, Ocala has a good surgery center but if you're going that far, you might as well take her another 40 miles to the University of Florida in Gainsville. University of Florida is the best option, and the cheapest, but it'll still likely cost between $2,000 and $5,000. I can get you an appointment today. Call me back and let me know what you want to do.'
Damn...and on the day when I don't have my trusty old Silverado at my disposal! So, I was left with a dilemma. I could make this happen, but how much tissue would they have to remove? Would she be pasture-sound, or would my friend be looking at a lifetime of pain? I'm one of those people that doesn't believe death is the worst thing that can happen, because I don't believe that we just vanish when we die. For a while I just sat and tried to come to grips with what I might have to do in the next few hours or days. Afterwards, I called the vet back and asked him if he could meet me at the barn to get his final opinion. If she could make it through the night and be loadable the next morning, I would at least take her to U of F and get their take on the situation before making any final decisions. He said he'd meet me at the barn in an hour (he is seriously the best).
Heather came and got me and my two mini-me's, and we headed out to the barn. While telling my kids to stay in the tack room, I heard a neigh. A Ruby neigh. Walking around the barn, she neighed to me again. When I got to her stall, I almost couldn't believe my eyes - she was so much better!
She had eaten all of her hay (hallelujah!). I put her halter on and walked her around the barn to open the gate for the vet. While waiting for him, I started examining the wound again. Actual pus was coming out, but the swelling and smell had gone down significantly - almost like an abscess inside it burst. She was happily grazing and mugging me for cookies (she is so spoiled right now - I have been an overly generous pez-dispenser). The vet pulled in and examined the wound, and said what I'd been thinking - she seems to be over the hump. He left with a promise to be back out this afternoon or tomorrow for a final shot of antibiotics, though we are both still stumped as to why it got so bad so unbelievably fast. He said it looks like the worst case of pigeon-fever he's ever seen, but it didn't present as such in the beginning. The bacterium that causes pigeon fever lives in the ground, so perhaps it got into the wound as the injury happened? We may never know.
This morning she was even better even before she got her bute - and pissed that she had to stay in last night (that's my irritable mare!). No smell from the wound! Hubby wants her to stay in again tonight, so she can rest, but I'm on the fence on that one. We'll see when I go out there again this evening.
Apparently one of the other ladies at the barn had a horse get a similar wound during a hurricane. She felt obliged to pass on the horse didn't make it because the wound just wouldn't heal. They had to put him down. Still, I'm hopeful that Ruby will pull through this - she's a stubborn, willful redheaded mare and as long as she's willing to fight, I'm willing to fight with her.
I left the barn Saturday morning, knowing that I wouldn't be able to get back out there until Sunday afternoon at the earliest. This is what happens when hubby has to go out of town for work, and one vehicle is on the fritz (AGAIN!!!). Heather is competent though and knew the drill, and yet I had a nagging feeling. I've had animals my entire life, and I know that many times when they are this sick, they seem to perk up right before the hammer comes down.
And so it was. On Sunday morning, Heather told me that Ruby was not doing well. She hadn't finished her hay from the day before, was in too much pain to graze, and the wound had swollen to an even larger size. She sent me a picture and it was way more awful than the day before. My heart fell, and I thought about my options while I waited for the vet to get out of church. When I called him, he said 'You have three options. You can take her to Surgicare, and they're going to charge you between $10-15K, Ocala has a good surgery center but if you're going that far, you might as well take her another 40 miles to the University of Florida in Gainsville. University of Florida is the best option, and the cheapest, but it'll still likely cost between $2,000 and $5,000. I can get you an appointment today. Call me back and let me know what you want to do.'
Damn...and on the day when I don't have my trusty old Silverado at my disposal! So, I was left with a dilemma. I could make this happen, but how much tissue would they have to remove? Would she be pasture-sound, or would my friend be looking at a lifetime of pain? I'm one of those people that doesn't believe death is the worst thing that can happen, because I don't believe that we just vanish when we die. For a while I just sat and tried to come to grips with what I might have to do in the next few hours or days. Afterwards, I called the vet back and asked him if he could meet me at the barn to get his final opinion. If she could make it through the night and be loadable the next morning, I would at least take her to U of F and get their take on the situation before making any final decisions. He said he'd meet me at the barn in an hour (he is seriously the best).
Heather came and got me and my two mini-me's, and we headed out to the barn. While telling my kids to stay in the tack room, I heard a neigh. A Ruby neigh. Walking around the barn, she neighed to me again. When I got to her stall, I almost couldn't believe my eyes - she was so much better!
She had eaten all of her hay (hallelujah!). I put her halter on and walked her around the barn to open the gate for the vet. While waiting for him, I started examining the wound again. Actual pus was coming out, but the swelling and smell had gone down significantly - almost like an abscess inside it burst. She was happily grazing and mugging me for cookies (she is so spoiled right now - I have been an overly generous pez-dispenser). The vet pulled in and examined the wound, and said what I'd been thinking - she seems to be over the hump. He left with a promise to be back out this afternoon or tomorrow for a final shot of antibiotics, though we are both still stumped as to why it got so bad so unbelievably fast. He said it looks like the worst case of pigeon-fever he's ever seen, but it didn't present as such in the beginning. The bacterium that causes pigeon fever lives in the ground, so perhaps it got into the wound as the injury happened? We may never know.
This morning she was even better even before she got her bute - and pissed that she had to stay in last night (that's my irritable mare!). No smell from the wound! Hubby wants her to stay in again tonight, so she can rest, but I'm on the fence on that one. We'll see when I go out there again this evening.
Apparently one of the other ladies at the barn had a horse get a similar wound during a hurricane. She felt obliged to pass on the horse didn't make it because the wound just wouldn't heal. They had to put him down. Still, I'm hopeful that Ruby will pull through this - she's a stubborn, willful redheaded mare and as long as she's willing to fight, I'm willing to fight with her.
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