Feeling miserable and a bit guilty!

emfen1305

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My horse went to horspital for surgery for his PSD and he is not having a good time, he's terribly uncomfortable and just not himself, I went to visit tonight and he is horribly tucked up, quivering and all he wants to do is stand in the corner and sulk and I can't really blame him! He took a mint to be obliging and nuzzled at some hay but then retreated back to the corner. The staff there have been watching him closely and they said he is quite nervous so they have been trying to only go in when they have to but otherwise he is eating, drinking and pooing so they are not worried about him but I hate that he just stands there staring into space :( I knew this would happen as he is very routine orientated, he really doesn't take to new places very well as he likes his home comforts and he is only there until Saturday but just feeling a bit sorry for him and for myself, I hope he forgives me, I am just trying to do what is best! I am also worried that the fact he is so anxious will make the journey home on Saturday a bit of a nightmare and I am scared he will colic with the stress, I feel like I might colic with the stress! No real point to this post, just feeling a bit tearful that he's in a strange place and he's not happy :(
 

cauda equina

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Poor horse, poor you.
It's rotten when you know you are doing your best for them, but still feel awful for putting them through a stressy time.
Fingers crossed for a good outcome x
 

milliepops

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He'll be home soon, try not to worry.

I remember visiting my lovely mare after she had a GA though, she looked really rough and she was quite cross with me, it was a bit of a shock :eek: bounced back pretty quickly when she got back home. Xx
 

emfen1305

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Poor horse, poor you.
It's rotten when you know you are doing your best for them, but still feel awful for putting them through a stressy time.
Fingers crossed for a good outcome x

Wish I could just have a little chat with him and explain what is going on! He must be so confused! I am hoping once we are home he will settle back down! x
 

emfen1305

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He'll be home soon, try not to worry.

I remember visiting my lovely mare after she had a GA though, she looked really rough and she was quite cross with me, it was a bit of a shock :eek: bounced back pretty quickly when she got back home. Xx

Thank you! Last night he was just a bit dopey but today he had fully come round and looked like he was out for revenge! He looked really cross with me tonight, didn't even want any scratches and every time I offered to hand feed some hay he marched off to the back of stable to pick through the scraps in the bed - i don't care what anyone says about horses and pettiness, he was definitely making his feelings quite clear! The vet advised not to visit tomorrow if it was upsetting so going to spend some time at the yard putting a nice fluffy bed down and putting up some of his new toys ready for box rest. I hope he forgives me soon!
 

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It is horrible leaving them at horsespital. My old boy stood on a nail 9 years ago, missing his navicular bursae by 2mm and spent 10 days there. I nearly lost him as he started knuckling over at his fetlock. Seeing his reaction when I visited was lovely but I hated going home.

He'll know when he's on the way home. Fingers crossed he makes a full recovery once he's back in your care again. X
 

emfen1305

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It is horrible leaving them at horsespital. My old boy stood on a nail 9 years ago, missing his navicular bursae by 2mm and spent 10 days there. I nearly lost him as he started knuckling over at his fetlock. Seeing his reaction when I visited was lovely but I hated going home.

He'll know when he's on the way home. Fingers crossed he makes a full recovery once he's back in your care again. X

I just wanted to stay there all night but I could tell I wasn't helping the situation, he just wanted to go and stand at the back of the stable but felt like he couldn't while I was there, just wanted to give him some love and fuss but think I just made it worse for him. Can't wait until Saturday! x
 

emfen1305

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He will know when he is on the way home, that his 'escape' is all your doing and give you all the credit for that..

I hope somewhere deep down he knows that I am doing this for him and it will be better in the long run, he will have no choice but to at least put up with me from Saturday as I am going to be there twice a day everyday (at the moment he only has to put up with my fussing in the evenings ;) )
 

Evie91

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My horse had the op just before Christmas and spent two weeks in horsepital. She was also subdued, lost her appetite and not her usual self when I visited, didn’t call to me, pretty much ignored me.She’s home now and it was lovely to see, she was so happy when she came off the box and back into her own stable- so at least you have that to look forward too. Honestly mine was so pleased to be home, it was fab to see.
On the way to the vets she refused to eat her haynet in the lorry, on the way back she was tucking in. Also before we even unloaded her best friend was calling for her- so hopefully won’t be long until yours is home and you can enjoy the same reaction :)
 

emfen1305

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My horse had the op just before Christmas and spent two weeks in horsepital. She was also subdued, lost her appetite and not her usual self when I visited, didn’t call to me, pretty much ignored me.She’s home now and it was lovely to see, she was so happy when she came off the box and back into her own stable- so at least you have that to look forward too. Honestly mine was so pleased to be home, it was fab to see.
On the way to the vets she refused to eat her haynet in the lorry, on the way back she was tucking in. Also before we even unloaded her best friend was calling for her- so hopefully won’t be long until yours is home and you can enjoy the same reaction :)

Oh that's made me feel a lot better (not that your horse was not herself of course, just more I am not the only one!) The vet just told me not to go tomorrow as it is just upsetting and I am picking him up on Saturday morning anyway! They said some horses just don't cope well, the horse next door to him had had the op too and was perky and whinnied at me when I walked past so that made me even sadder!

I hope he travels back OK and doesn't get too stressed, it's only about 30 mins away luckily! My friend said she would bring his field buddy and next door neighbour in a bit earlier for him, when he was away at the vets for the day he whinnied at his friend when he came back in so I am hoping that will cheer him up. He also likes to play with the little chestnut next door (stables are badly designed so is very close to him!) and he will be in so hopefully he will get back to his normal self in no time. I hope all goes well for your horse, it's a very stressful time!
 

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They don't hold it against you- he will bounce back once he's home. I've been very lucky as the only one of mine who didn't cope well with hospital was Jack, he used to get terribly depressed up there.
I was worried about P when she went in- she was a nightmare when she got there and wouldn't let anyone touch her and wouldn't go in her stable so I had awful visions that she'd be a changed pony when she came home and would hate me forever. On the contrary she actually settled very well and had the audacity to ignore me when I went to visit her! It was hilarious really.

Hope your horse travels ok, he'll be back home in no time x
 

emfen1305

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They don't hold it against you- he will bounce back once he's home. I've been very lucky as the only one of mine who didn't cope well with hospital was Jack, he used to get terribly depressed up there.
I was worried about P when she went in- she was a nightmare when she got there and wouldn't let anyone touch her and wouldn't go in her stable so I had awful visions that she'd be a changed pony when she came home and would hate me forever. On the contrary she actually settled very well and had the audacity to ignore me when I went to visit her! It was hilarious really.

Hope your horse travels ok, he'll be back home in no time x

Thank you! I think it just shocked a bit just how depressed and tucked up he was but then he's been through a GA and he's in a strange place so don't really know what I was expecting! The vet called me this morning and said he was quite perky and was quite cheeky in his bandage changes trying to help pull them off so that's made me feel a bit better. Just can't wait to get him home tomorrow, spent all last night threading bits of carrot and swede through bailing twine to try and win his affections back! x
 

emfen1305

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Hope he returns to normal soon poor boy.

My lad went to horspital a few years ago and loved it!!

Haha the horse next door looked like he was positively in heaven, the owner says he lives out at home so she was worried he wouldn't stable well but when i got down last night he was laid flat out snoring so clearly loving his break!
 

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My share horse lost 40kg in a week in horsepital last year. He was over an hour away and vets told us it was best not to visit as they're more settled on their own. They phoned us midweek to ask if there was a way to get him to eat hay/haylage as he wasn't touching it, although he was eating his bucket feed. Seeing him when we picked him up was awful. They had just bathed him and he was still wet so that didn't help but he just looked so scrawny. It was horrible especially as he was there for a bone scan so not seriously ill so we felt like we'd put him in there. Now that he's been pretty much sound for 14 months we're so glad we did it.
 

Red-1

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I have had 2 in horsepital over the years, both for a small lump removal.

Amber had a small lump on her eyelid, but it rooted down into the tear duct. I did not visit as she was only in a couple of nights, bit when we arrived they took me to see her, supposedly before we went to pay, before we actually got her to load up to go home.

When we saw her she went berserk! She was coming with us, like it or not! She pawed, dug, and started to bash the door down. When I went in she practically put her travel boots on herself, and dragged me u the ramp. Once in her own horsebox she settled to eating hay, happy as larry. The had to show us how to manage the drain in her eye and irrigate on the box, as she was inconsolable before.

Charlie horse was the opposite. OH went to pick him up. Charlie horse loved Horsepital, was quite dismissive of OH, then did not want to load up. OH was a bit cheesed off, especially as he had seen Amber's warm welcome to me! No worries though, once he was offloaded at home he settled right in, and was as friendly as ever.

I guess that like humans they all have different ways of coping, and some withdraw and some become animated.

Roll on the time you pick yours up!
 

emfen1305

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My share horse lost 40kg in a week in horsepital last year. He was over an hour away and vets told us it was best not to visit as they're more settled on their own. They phoned us midweek to ask if there was a way to get him to eat hay/haylage as he wasn't touching it, although he was eating his bucket feed. Seeing him when we picked him up was awful. They had just bathed him and he was still wet so that didn't help but he just looked so scrawny. It was horrible especially as he was there for a bone scan so not seriously ill so we felt like we'd put him in there. Now that he's been pretty much sound for 14 months we're so glad we did it.

He didn't eat the bucket feed last night, they said they would try some mix but to be honest he doesn't need it anyway so I said not to bother, he is used o having speedi beet at home and isn't a fan of chop but no point in taking it up just for one more night! Glad that your lad is sound, I know it will be worth it in the end just horrible in the interim!
 

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Oh bless you it's awful leaving them isn't it. My beautiful boy Crumpet got rushed in to the RVC a couple of years ago and we nearly lost him - they took incredible care of him but he was also very "homesick" is probably the word for it... i actually took one of my tops with me and one of Thomas's saddle pads and left it in the stable with him and apparently he spent a lot of time sniffing them - I guess the familiar smells (not that I'm smelly!!) seemed to comfort him. Really hope he gets better soon - give him a hug from Crumpet and tell him it's not all that bad, the nice people are there to make him better :) xx
 

emfen1305

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I have had 2 in horsepital over the years, both for a small lump removal.

Amber had a small lump on her eyelid, but it rooted down into the tear duct. I did not visit as she was only in a couple of nights, bit when we arrived they took me to see her, supposedly before we went to pay, before we actually got her to load up to go home.

When we saw her she went berserk! She was coming with us, like it or not! She pawed, dug, and started to bash the door down. When I went in she practically put her travel boots on herself, and dragged me u the ramp. Once in her own horsebox she settled to eating hay, happy as larry. The had to show us how to manage the drain in her eye and irrigate on the box, as she was inconsolable before.

Charlie horse was the opposite. OH went to pick him up. Charlie horse loved Horsepital, was quite dismissive of OH, then did not want to load up. OH was a bit cheesed off, especially as he had seen Amber's warm welcome to me! No worries though, once he was offloaded at home he settled right in, and was as friendly as ever.

I guess that like humans they all have different ways of coping, and some withdraw and some become animated.

Roll on the time you pick yours up!

I suspect he will be a bit of a pain to load, he is not the easiest to load and travel at the best of times so I suspect he will have a bit of a kick off but he's going back in a stallion box so will just have to leave him to get on with it, at least it is only a short journey!
 

emfen1305

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Oh bless you it's awful leaving them isn't it. My beautiful boy Crumpet got rushed in to the RVC a couple of years ago and we nearly lost him - they took incredible care of him but he was also very "homesick" is probably the word for it... i actually took one of my tops with me and one of Thomas's saddle pads and left it in the stable with him and apparently he spent a lot of time sniffing them - I guess the familiar smells (not that I'm smelly!!) seemed to comfort him. Really hope he gets better soon - give him a hug from Crumpet and tell him it's not all that bad, the nice people are there to make him better :) xx

Aww, Crumpet, what a lovely name!! Yes they are taking great care of him and have been calling me with updates. They have even taken to hand feeding him some hay as he does like being hand fed, I think he thinks that the hay you have in your hand is new and exciting and totally different to the stuff on the floor. I did think about taking some stuff from home and his fieldmate's leadrope (he loves sniffing his headcollar) but I was worried it might upset him more. Luckily he only has one more night and then he's home in the morning, I am looking forward to going down to the yard tonight and doing him a lovely big bed! x
 

BeingKate

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Aww, Crumpet, what a lovely name!! Yes they are taking great care of him and have been calling me with updates. They have even taken to hand feeding him some hay as he does like being hand fed, I think he thinks that the hay you have in your hand is new and exciting and totally different to the stuff on the floor. I did think about taking some stuff from home and his fieldmate's leadrope (he loves sniffing his headcollar) but I was worried it might upset him more. Luckily he only has one more night and then he's home in the morning, I am looking forward to going down to the yard tonight and doing him a lovely big bed! x

Oh YAY so pleased to hear he's coming home!! :D :D
Honestly its the best thing - when Crumpet went in he was so touch and go and when we brought him home I grinned from ear to ear and stood in the back with him the whole hour and a half journey home! Then when I put him out into the field I let him go, gave him a hug and the tears arrived - I never thought I would see him gallop across that field again - I think the stress of the whole week of him being in the intensive care unit in a padded box all came out after that and I cried for like 5 hours!

Wishing you guys a safe journey home and I hope he has a lovely sleep in his big bed! Xx
 
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