colt due to be gelded but vet couldn't inject to sedate, help!

My guess is you need to get an experienced horse handler in, poss someone from a racing yard who is used to dealing with naughty colts - not neccessarily someone rough so go from recommendation but unless he is securely held the vet cannot be expected to do their job. Don't forget they have to protect you too so can't do somehting if you might get injured either.
 
I don't understand why the vet is getting the flack on this one, some vets (mine included) can, will and do successfully deal with badly behaved potentially dangerous horses BUT there is nothing to say that they should. The horse is not at immediate risk from keeping his testicles so why is the vet expected to take risks?
the horse sounds ill prepared and (sorry OP) like the handler is not in control or lacks the confidence knowledge to deal with the situation.
 
As I've stated it's totally out of character for him and not what I expected!!! I am an experienced horse handler and worked in racing for over 10 years, dealing with and breaking yearling colts!
I've never had to prepare any other colt I've had gelded for injecting so just never crossed my mind it would be a problem! He's 14hh at mo and just turned 10months, although getting very colty he's always been fine to handle etc and even tho he did catch me as he reared up and struck out I'm certainly not scared of him! Just wanted ideas to move forward in a kind but firm way, do not want another session of horse wrestling
 
While the horse may not be in immediate risk it certainly sounds as though he may be greatly improved by parting him from his testicles .
OP it might be best to transport him to a vet hospital and leave them to it .
 
chapper said:
As I've stated it's totally out of character for him and not what I expected!!! I am an experienced horse handler and worked in racing for over 10 years, dealing with and breaking yearling colts!
I've never had to prepare any other colt I've had gelded for injecting so just never crossed my mind it would be a problem! He's 14hh at mo and just turned 10months, although getting very colty he's always been fine to handle etc and even tho he did catch me as he reared up and struck out I'm certainly not scared of him! Just wanted ideas to move forward in a kind but firm way, do not want another session of horse wrestling
Click to expand...

I was in this position with a perfectly nice 7yo gelding and it was a total shock. The vet was not the most sypathetic and the horse freaked. He went to horse hospital and they had to put him in stocks to sedate him.
When he was sent home he was required to be blood tested several times. The vet clinic advised against making my own "stocks" as it would be too dangerous. The vet told me to teach him how to be injected using cocktail sticks. He was also impossible for the vet hospital to take his temp. without going into their stocks so I decided to teach him this as well.
I got a clicker (a couple of quid in a pet shop) and started on the temp. Each time I picked his tail up he behaved, I clicked and rewarded him. It took only a few minutes to teach him to have his temp taken. We reinforced this for a few days.
I moved onto IV injection. I made a tiny scratch with the cocktail stick, clicked and rewarded. A few repeats and he was great. We did this for a few more days. My own vet (experienced with horses) arrived, I held him in a headcollar with myself behind his eye so he couldn't see and gave him some nuts. The vet went straight in with the needle. I asked her not to stroke the horse or touch him at all just to get the needle in immediately.

It worked brilliantly. Now I just have a few top up sessions with the cocktail stick. I imagine this poor horse is simply scared and suprised not nasty.
 
Thanks paddy555 I'm going to try that! I tried him this eve with just an empty syringe, he struck out once but then was fine 😕 will keep going and try with cocktail stick tomo
 
chapper said:
We tried twitching him, it took a while to get it on but once we did he reared up and struck out at it and got it off!!
Click to expand...

It's pointless attempting to twitch a horse which is already pumped up with adrenalin. The twitch should be applied to a calm horse, by a calm person, as the vet's car pulls in to the yard, a blindfold put on before the vet enters, and everyone involved should get about there business quietly to ensure safe injection of the horse.
 
I too would try the Domesedan and/or the cocktail stick approach. Another one that works quite well (provided you've got the spatial issues sorted) is taking a tiny pinch of skin and giving it a little twist to simulate the needle, then lots of fuss. I say that having had to retrain my current youngster to be quiet and sensible around vets and farriers after her breeders tried the pin/twitch/trap (and beat) approach for jabs and trimming. She was hysterical about both kinds of experience by the time I got her and would just explode. At 2 years old and nearly 17hh, all she'd learned was that vets hurt and if she hurled herself through someone or something, it generally collapsed! She's now 5 and the vet and I popped down and gave her a shot in the field the other day while she rested her chin on my shoulder and ate the hedge.
 
Ref the Dormosedan (which is fantastic stuff btw), it's absorbed through the mucus membranes of the mouth - so if the horse swallows it, then it's wasted. You need to handle it with surgical gloves on because it's really strong stuff. There's a video on Youtube. I found the only way I could give it to my horse without him spitting it out was to put his bridle and drop noseband on quite tight, then it worked fine - but I'm guessing you've not had a bridle on your boy yet? I have heard of people putting the gel onto their finger and rubbing it around the gums and inside of mouth, but I don't remember seeing this on the recommended instructions. I just wanted to let you know this otherwise it could be £35 (for a syringe of Dormosedan) down the drain - literally!
 
Fantastic news.
Regarding some of the other posts there are 3 reasons why the vet was right to walk away in the first instance.
1) The horse was clearly getting agitated and could have injured itself.
2) The owner was clearly in danger, had the owner been hurt or killed the vet could have been sued and the horse likely sold on or pts'd.
3) The vet must be able bodied to work, if they are injured they cannot work, which in my case would result in loosing my house and my own horses/dogs being PTS'd. In a smaller practice it would mean they would be unable to provide their usual level of cover, meaning there may not be a vet available in an emergency. It never fails to amaze me how many people fail to understand this, vets are human and are breakable! As one owner said to me whilst I was trying to catch his horse for him - "Give up, it's not worth getting your head kicked in for a £30 vaccination". (On a matter of pride I both caught and vaccinated said beast but it did make me rather late for the rest of my calls!)
Best to walk away and make arrangements for another day. A lot of it is in the handling and facilities, it's amazing what can be achieved with preparation, stocks or just a good old "stallion man" on the head.
 
I totally agree, I didn't have a problem with the vet! We tried everything we could at the time, he was to wound up and was dangerous by then! All because of a little needle! He still reared up and pulled back with the sedalin but a lot better then he was and I managed to keep hold of the syringe as well as him!!! So once it was in he was fine, I thanked the vet profusely for coming back and giving him another go lol 😁
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top