another foal update.

H

henryhorn

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www.narramorehorses.blogspot.com
Had to call vet out yet again as his breathing quickened, temp rose a bit and he stopped drinking.
He has been moved to the corridor between two boxes so we can keep him attached all the time to the drip, his dam is next door and can touch him over her door.
I have to change the fluid containers later this evening (oh I hate drips), inject the antibiotics with a needle into the port and squeeze yet more anti biotics in via his mouth.
(oh and keep feeding him a litre of milk which I remove from his dam every two hours).
Not necessarily a setback as he is brighter and nibbling on some hay now and then, but it's obvious he needs rehydrating longer.
We are trying to share the load and what with having to fence new paddocks off for the stallion etc due to avoiding the bogey field there seems to be a lot to do.
The good thing is provided he is connected up to the drip overnight I can get sleep from 12 until 6am if I stuff him full of milk first!
Will try and load some vid from the camera in the lounge, at least P can sit and watch him whilst he is stil incapacitated, tomorrow he should get his plaster off. (that'll be fun, having to drive him and CCJ to the hospital then both have a medical afterwards, I reckon I will have to hurtle back here 20 miles, feed foal then hurtle back to collect them as C's car has given up the ghost..
No one can say I ever get bored....
 
I may be off the beaten track here somewhat - but what about using a milk replacer for him rather than giving his mothers milk? It would change the variables.
 
fingers crossed for the little guy xxx

What Tia said is interesting, do you think that might make a difference? It could be worth a try if nothing else is working?
 
Especially if the healer said the foal thought it was his mum's milk making him ill. Hope it's just a temorary blip. Drive carefully tomorrow.

Best wishes
 
Really feel for you, life with horses is hard enough, never mind dealing with this as well. Wish I could offer a hand, but being stuck up the other end of the country is not not much use.

Keep going !
 
How lucky he is to have you giving him every chance. Wish I wasn't the other end of the country, would gladly come and make some constructive use of my free time.

Fingers crossed, and hugs to you all xx
 
Gosh it sounds hard, didn't realise CCJ was on the injured list too (did I read that right?). Finger crossed for you all.
 
Me back here again whilst waiting for the vet to return for the second time today, the damned catheter is blocked and depsite our best efforts we can't get it to unblock. the fluids were going in nicely, he was eating hay hapily so we watched him via the tv and went and had our evening meal. When we went back it had stopped and there was blood in the short piece from the neck to the iv bit. Rang the vet, dismantled and attempted to clear it with the flushing syringe but no dice, and he started to get shivery and cold again.. We quickly milked Mum and persuaded him to have yet more milk.. After 20 mins he seemed to pick up once more but it's obviously very touch and go.
Vet just rang, on his way, and he may have to take the port out and re-do it.
I think his constant twirling round this afternoon is the culprit, until now he has stood head down in a corner..
We are alternating the dam's milk and the foal formula as the vet says rubbish to the healer's theory. We have to do whatever is best for the foal and at the moment getting food ie milk of any sort into him is the priority, his dehydration should have been sorted by the iv. Sadly I am not good with stuff like that, I can happily do injections into anywhere, but hate anything technical like tubes and valves..
Husband is superb but can't go in stable on crutches easily, and C has been marvellous , struggling with the whole contraption far longer than I did.
I have tried to persuade him to eat feed but he won't touch anything except haylage.
I think what thevet may do is rehydrate him a lot quicker than we were doing, we will feed him again and put him back with his Mum again.
Tomorrow is a busy day with hospital appointments but my cleaner just happens to be a veterinary nurse.. So no worries whilst she is here! My neighbour has also offered to feed him (I showed her how today) so with any luck I won't have to hurtle back from exeter twice..
I'm not quite so confident he will make it as earlier, but all we can do is keep up doing what we are and hope it works
frown.gif
 
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