Thursday, July 22, 2010

it's so slashed and torn, part 3

I actually decided to call the vet yesterday when I took those photos. So this morning, I tried to hook up my two horse trailer so I could haul her over to the clinic. No dice. I couldn't budge the hitch on the stock trailer. It sure sucks to not be able to do all the things I want. I called the vet clinic at eight this morning and then had to leave a message so I decided to go on to work and take her on Friday morning. Then, when I spoke with the vet, he said "no way-Friday AM", but that he could see her at 2:00 today. That blows when I have to drive a half hour each way to work. But I really had no choice. So I left work after just four hours.

Sooooooo, first thing he did was sedate her. Which is something I can't do. Even with the sedation, she was a little fussy about the ear. Then he looked at her ear. He removed all the crust and crud and cleaned it really good. We could see some surface infection but he didn't think it was too bad. He said that with ear cartilage, it's very hard to grow back together and he didn't think it would meld together. The best he could do is get it clean and hope it dries out and begins healing. (I had been hoping that by removing the dead tissue it could possibly be stuck together again.) He sprayed some Alum-something on her ear to kind of cauterize it. Now she has a pretty silver ear.
He asked me if I wanted to give her some oral antibiotic. He didn't really advise for or against but I figured since he was there, I might as well so that I won't have to call him back.

Oh yeah, after he left, when I went to 'untie' Annie (I actually just loop the rope high up around the stall post because she has a tendency to panic and could tear down the barn) she was peeing and winking. It reminded me of all the times I took her to the vet's a few years back to get bred. I think she might have been thinking about it too because a short time later I caught her peeing again! lol.

While he was there he also gave Yalla! her follow up shots. The little stinker didn't want to have the strangles tube put in her nose again so we had to back her into a corner. But she's all done now. And I'm over $300 poorer! Holy cow, right? The oral antibiotic was over $60.oo!

Until he worked on her, I had tied Yalla! up for some experience. I brushed her down and I must say that I believe she must have rolled because for the first time she was muddy ALL over from her mane to her tail and both sides. I was both happy that she 'can' and sad that she 'did'.
After the vet worked on Yalla! I retied her up and got Scout out. I cleaned him up and rode him around with the bareback pad. We rode around the round pen for a bit, walking and trotting and then I rode him out and around the neighborhood, giving him a nice working trot along the grassy edges of the back gravel roads. he was very well behaved and walked when I asked him. He never called back to the girls even though Yalla! was calling to him. Greatly improved from the other time I rode him when he was Mr. High Anxiety and calling back home, dancing and high headed, the whole time.

A short time later I came back and let him go and loved all over Yalla! for being so well behaved on her tie. Then I let them all loose and fed them for the night.

Now, I'm going to go have a good cry over a glass of wine...


it's so slashed and torn - song: Under Pressure, artist: David Bowie and Freddie Mercury

12 comments:

Dan and Betty said...

Hey, it's only money, right? You'll take a lot more from your memories with your horses than with that $600.

You did the right thing.

Dan

Sherry Sikstrom said...

Sorry you are feeling sad.Annie is a beautiful horse ,with or without the split ear . As I said Cactus has one and my old mare sunshine had a hole clean though her ear from an injury as a foal. after a while you barely notice

Tammy Vasa said...

OUCH! $300! But at least you have some peace of mind now.

What is wrong with the trailer? If mind sits for awhile, things stick (rust) and drives me nuts. Get some WD40 and a rubber ended hammer. Should help. I had a heckuva time with mine one winter. Talk about cold steel not wanting to move!!

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

It is painful to have to pay so much only to find out that you were on the right track or the horse didn't necessarily need veterinary care. Although a surface infection could have gone deeper, so now you can have some peace of mind that it was taken care of. Maybe even if the cartilage doesn't fuse, the skin might. Trying to be hopeful here.

Bombay is getting some crusty proud flesh on his injuries. The vet said, "Just bring him back in and well remove it." But I wonder how much that will cost and how many times we would have to go through this procedure before the wounds heal fully. That same vet said they'd be healed weeks ago. It just feels like it's always a gamble. You want to make sure you do the right thing, but you don't want to go into bankruptcy either.

Sherry Sikstrom said...

Nuzz Muzz, hope you see this, for proud flesh grind up a couple aspirins in a few tbsps of Furacin(don't panic when the mix turns kinda redish) and pain it on leave (don't cover) for a day, then rinse off. Do that for a couple days and it will break down the granulated tissue

Fantastyk Voyager said...

Thanks everybody, I don't often reply but please know that I do really appreciate all your thoughts and comments.

Unknown said...

So sorry about her ear, but glad you got it checked. I dread unanticipated vet visits. There's always something...

Paint Girl said...

Poor Annie, that must seriously hurt! Too bad it won't grow back together!
Sounds like you had a good ride on Scout, and what a good Yalla! for tying so well.

allhorsestuff said...

Oh Val...hope you got a good cleansing cry. Sorry for the strain.
It'll be alright soon enough .
Your Yalla...is looking so grown up mare like almost! Very cool..I am excited for your training with her...what else have you been doing?
KK

Unknown said...

Blah I think blogger ate my comment.

I bet you feel better after knowing what the vet had to say about her ear. Better knowing how it's going to heal and having it cleaned.

Did you ever get your level rider btw??

Grey Horse Matters said...

Glad to hear you got it checked out. It's too bad he couldn't have stitched it up or something. Hope she heals quickly. Take a smile out of petty cash and don't feel so bad.

Achieve1dream said...

It looks much better after the vet cleaned it up. Don't you wish horses would cooperate so we could treat them instead of having a vet do it? It's so frustrating, but since we can't sedate them oh well.

Sorry you're feeling down about the whole thing. I know how you feel. When it rains it pours. She'll be okay though. And we love our horses that's why we work and spend the money we do on them lol. Keep telling yourself that to keep from having a heart attack over the money. :)

Sounds like Yalla! did great! I'm so proud of her. You've done such a great job with her. And so he doesn't feel out way to go Scout! :)