Happy, Upbeat, Recovered from Death's Door Stories

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CanadianGirl

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There seems to be a large number of PTS threads right now and I feel for the owners. BUT, they make me so sad so I thought I would start this thread. :)
How about everyone posts their stories of horses that have recovered that nobody expected to.

My mare had a terrible colic a month ago. The vet had come on Friday to give all the horses their vaccinations, he was early so I completely missed him. The barn owner informed me that he didn't think Tika looked good and that everyone in the barn had been saying how awful she looked (thanks for telling me I thought). I called the vet and we discussed a feeding strategy to keep her healthy. Saturday when I got there and she was in a very bad state, she wasn't eating (normally she's a pig), had no energy, wouldn't stand up and she had a fever. She had already lost a couple of hundred pounds from the poor quality hay that she was eating (which I hadn't noticed because I see her everyday) and I was worried (she was an easy keeper and everyone kept saying how 'fat' she was so I'd been cutting her hay back). The vet came out on an emergency call and examined her and gave her a shot of antibiotic and banamine and told me that I could expect her to take a while to recover, feed her to gain her weight back and try to get her to graze because 'grass was the best medicine'. The next day when I got to the barn, the barn owner was cleaning stalls and she gave me a sorry look. Tika's stall door was open and she was down, groaning, with cloudy eyes and looking like she was at death's door. The BO said I should call the vet because 'she was suffering' but I knew that he would want to know her temp. and vital signs when I called. As soon as I put the thermometer in to take her temperature, she stood up. The BO wanted me to get her out of the barn, because she was sure she was going to die. I took her out to the pasture and gave her the antibiotic that the vet had left. Tika lay on her side in the sunshine for about 10 minutes, then she got up and started to tentatively eat some grass, it got progressively better from there. The pasture seemed to do the trick. We left her out there for 3 days and nights by herself and she improved dramatically. She has now put all of her lost weight back on, her coat is shiny and healthy and she is happy as can be! :D

Does anyone else have a knocking at heaven's door story?

Sorry for the length. Does anyone else have a story to share?
 
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2002/3 I had a yearling Arab, out in the field with his half brother. He was quite unwell, didn't look right, so had vet out, who did blood texts. Bloods came back as liver malfunctions, can't remember the white cell count but vet said there was no hope, was probably liver damage due to ragwort from previous turn out before I had him, gave him less than 30% chance of recovery.
I wasn't going to give up on this beauty, so discussed with vet and said I wanted to try and save him, vet agreed to giving him a chance although was certain he wouldn't make it, and would take bloods again.
I researched treatments and horse's diet was changed to varied (all with vets approval).
He had Visorbin, BLK (Naf) grapefruit juice, liquorice, milk thistle, nettles, less than 16% protein mix, not much grass, no sugars (carrots etc) at a cost of around £100 a week, for many months.

Few months later, vet was surprised to see the horse looking fit and well an a typical youngster. Actually, more amazed than anything. Decided not to take bloods as horse was in such good condition and really we felt it wasn't needed.
Harley is now a strapping 15.2, 9 year old, sold him to my sister. Vet is still amazed :) Although, it is expected his life expectancy is shortened by the damage, he is a super horse, active and ridden, and much loved.
 
2 and a half years ago my old mare collapsed out hacking. We thought we would have to pts at the roadside. She was a little under weight but often is during winter. Emergency vet put it down to age and advised retire her fully. Tried previously and she refused to eat.

A week later she was a bag of bones with a nasty thick goo coming out the back end. My vet came out and diagnosed pymetra. As fast as it was taking hold he expected her to last a couple of weeks then be pts. We sedated her and he cleaned her womb out with saline to make her comfortable and I moved yards with all 3 horses to get her some more turn out with her friends for her last 2 weeks of early spring.

As I type she is grazing with my friends pony in am electric fenced section of the big field as they are in a mixed herd and her sight doesn't seem quite what it was. She grooms mine over the fence and yesterday had a blooming good gallop round the field despite her arthritis! She has been back in light work but is now retired fully and accepting it finally. Her liver is not great but milk thistle supplement keeps her comfortable. She has cushings and is a little fat but comes in during the day on restricted diet to escape the heat and keep my albino pony company. The only rule for her management is never miss an opportunity to cuddle, fuss or titbit her!

The vet can't believe it and brings students to see her. He has said he will pts if I need to lighten the financial load and her medical reasons are plenty to justify it. He also says she's not in pain, light discomfort I think is what he said and that it would be a shame when she looks so happy. She will go as soon as she's ready but at the minute she's just not ready! I have the vet to her about 3 times a year to check health and discomfort levels and the physio 4 times a year. The dentist knows her well too and sees her at least twice a year, as well as her extended family. between us we will pick the right time so she doesn't suffer.
Can't post pics but pingpongpony may do it for me later. She looks in her early to mid 20s. Not bad for 32!
 
1st October last year my boy got kicked in the field and fractured his elbow. When he went off to NEH i was told to prepare myself for the worst as even if the operation went well there was a possibility that when he stood up it would all shatter and there wouldn't be anything we could do for him.

The operation was scheduled for 8.30 in the morning, it took longer than they expected and then there was waiting time for him to come round and stand up to see what would happen.

Longest day of my life! I am pleased to say that all was well, we are still on the road to recovery after he sprained his elbow the other week but at least he is still here!!
 
I don't have a recovered-from-death's-door story but I did take on a neglected horse who was in very poor condition. He was old when I got him and I only had him for six years but they were six brilliant years. He was such a happy healthy horse right up until his last couple of months, I was lucky to have been his friend.
 
My horse had compaction colic and was in hospital xmas eve, xmas day, boxing day, and the 27th...my birthday! We were told to expect the worse and quite honestly if we had him at livery rather than at home where we can keep a closer eye on him im not sure we would have caught him in time...he went down hill so dramatically within the space of a couple of hours. We called the vet immediatly and she was here in half an hour...his heart rate stood in the stable was 69..at rest normally it is between 29 and 32. There wasnt a bead of sweat on him and no obvious signs of discomfort, no pawing, rolling etc.
Within 1 hour we had him at the vets with drips etc and luckily he has such a calm, kind and trusting attitude to life he was very easy to treat quickly which def helped his chances. I often think if it had been one of the stroppy ponies we have it may have been a different story!!
He is now thankfully fit and well but god he looked poor when we fetched him home, I was actually pleased he had a rug on to hide how bad he looked, he looked like a neglect case. The vet said it was just one of those things and not to blame myself but I still do...
 
I dont have a "recovered from deaths door" story either. But - last June my horse was diagnosed with suspensory ligament damage. Following treatment and a long rehab program - we had the all clear from the vet last Friday to start canter work. I'm sure everybody who has ever had a horse go through rehab can imagine how I felt on our first canter after nearly a year, and I'm sure I could feel the joy in my horse too. In fact - I dont think I've stopped smiling since the vet gave me the news, And its great to look back now and know that I've done everything I can to help my horse recover.
 
So I had stabled fatty mare after riding, left her thinking all was well - got up to the yard to see her hanging over her door, hardly able to breathe, coughing every 3 seconds. I flew into a panic and said to another livery, who was casually sweeping the barn, 'how long has she been doing that?' she said 'since about 1pm' - it was now FIVE O CLOCK! She didn't think to ring as she PRESUMED that was the reason I had put her in her stable. I could have killed her!

Anyway - vert came - treated her for COPD - gave her Atripine. He said that Atripine can cause Colic but if she was going to colic it would be fairly immediate. She picked up really quickly, I was left with meds, I stayed with her for about three hours after the vet had left. Big mistake - I was an idiot to believe the vet who said I would be fine to leave her.

Got there at about 7am the next morning she was down and had been for a long time, her very deep shavings bed (about a foot) was all banked up around the sides, she was laying on the concrete, she had obviously been rolling and rolling.

Got her up - she went down, got her up, she went down again etc - she looked as if she was about to die. Eyes rolling, tongue lolling, shallow breaths. God it was awful.

Vet came, colic blah blah blah. Said he would stick his hand up, inject her - do everything possible. Gave her a massive pain killer and said if she didn't respond positively within 30 mins we would be looking at PTS. I couldn't believe it - this was the horse that I was cantering around less than 24 hours previous.

Horse layed there and time passed. Vet kept looking at me sympathetically........... what did I want to do etc etc...............

Literally after about 25 minutes she staggered up, grunted a lot, circled and circled - I thought she was just going down again. Pooed/sprayed/weed all over her wall and then stood dopily and groggily looking at us.

Within four or five days of taking it easy she was back to her normal self!!!

YAY!
 
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My ex's horse collapsed on returning from a hack, she had burst a blood vessel in her hind quarters due to worm damage caused by leaving worming to previous Y/O. The vet was called,and he wanted to put her down, but my ex refused. Vet said if she was no better the next day he wasn't fiving him the choice. On his return he couldn't believe it, the horse was on her feet demanding breakfast. She has had lung damage also caused by said worm damage, kissing spine, 3 joints go, 2 colics, and a couple of tendon issues. She is still going. The vets can't believe her, and she has a bit of a fan club there. She gives hope on a dark day with her zest for life.
 
My cushings boy came down with severe laminitis just weeks after recovering from milder lami. Regardless of his really restricted diet he was getting progressively worse, stablebound and unhappy. Ver recommended pts & we reluctantly concurred and booked a date for a couple of wks time. We took the vets advice and buted him up more and let him go out in his restricted grazing for a few hours each day and gave him lots of his favourite food- hi fibre nuggets- and lots of attention to give him a good couple of last weeks. He suddenly made a miraculous recovery and is now looking tbe best hes ever been since getting cushings & is a very happy chap. Vet still cant really believe it, he looked so bad, every time he comes for one of our others he asks after him. This autumn (when he got it last year) will be the testing point for him and weve agreed if he comes down with it badly/ is stablebound for more than a few wks then we will PTS as we want him to have a good quality of life, but for now hes happy and healthy :) they do sometimes surprise you :).
 
Early last year, My older mare began to drop weight, her teeth etc were done 6 monthly so it wasnt that, she was eating her hard feed sometimes but not her usual amount of haylage, she was grazing when turned out but sometimes looked a bit distant, i was concerned about the amount of weight she dropped in a week and got the vet, the day she was brought in to see the vet, she was staggering and nearly fell into her stable, i was devastated, the vet confirmed she'd had a stroke, she was 27 until then she'd been field fit although had arthritis well maintained on danilon for pain relief.
We decided to give her a try to see how she would fair over the weekend and review on Monday, she was given a weeks course of steroids and i gave her tasty smallfeeds 3-4 times a day, as thats what she could sometimes manage. With her haylage it was like she wanted to eat and tried, she would pick it and then chew a bit, but then looked like she didnt know what to do with it, she went on short chop readygrass, that had to be mixed with beet for her yo manage it.
She had a small turnout area fenced off near the others, she couldnt be in with them, if theyd bumped her she'd have fallen.
Monday came and vet saw a slight improvement, but she did look poor, when i took her rug off again and looked i cried, she had always been a good doer and she was very thin, i couldnt believe the difference from the horse she was previous.
We decided to give her till Fri and if no real improvement pts.
I fed her short chop forage as she was able to manage it and swallow it better, but it was a struggle, i spoke again to a dietician and worked out high cal feeds for 4x daily feeds.
Still she played with but never swallowed any long stalk forage.
My friend Jenny gave her reiki which she really liked.
By the end of the week she was eating better and was steadier on her feet, she gradually picked up over the next couple of weeks, i did exercises shown by physio to help her muscles, and it took a long time, possibly 6-8 weeks before she started to manage long stalk forage again.
Today when i take her to the field, the rope is over her nose as she bounces at trot trying to pull me to the grass :):) when i take the headcollar off, she's away like a shot from a gun, charging up the field, cantering and bucking with the other 2 :D
I know she is on borrowed time, and am grateful that She recovered so well to let me have, what i know is probably my last year or so with her.
It makes me appreciate her every single day, her boldness, curiosity, bossiness and leader of the pack but loving personality, she has been to work with me for the kids to meet her, she is so patient and loving with them i am so proud of her, i'm crying as i type this as i do really love her so much, but know the times not to far away when i'll need to let her go, it just didnt feel like it was her time before.
OMG i am having a good bubble now .... Sorry for such a self indulgent Post :o
 
Not got a horse story but got a cat one! 6 years ago a stray we looked after had kittens in our garage, 8 to be precise, she was very smug and happy about them! An hour or so after she'd had them all I went back to check her and she'd produced another one and pushed it out of the 'nest'. It was wet and cold and looked dead but I took it in the house and dried it and it started to squeak. Long story short I hand reared it which is without doubt the hardest thing I've ever done! The vets were amazing but thought I was mad and kept telling me it was almost certain he'd die if I didn't reintroduce him to the litter and get her to accept him. When it was about 4 weeks old I reintroduced it to the litter more for the company than the food as by then he was doing well, mother accepted him, all was going well, then a couple of weeks later she rejected him again and one of the others too, so I took them back in and hand fed them but they weren't doing well, took them to the vets and they had a bacterial infection caught from the mother. They gave me antibiotics and I took them home. Poor kitties were so sorry, too weak to do anything other than sleep I really didn't think they'd make it and neither did the vet. I was so sad after all the effort of bottle feeding them, especially the runty one. Anyway, 6 years on, I've still got the runty kitten, he's still tiny but makes up for it in personality and is a brilliant mouser! The other one my Mum has and he is a strapping handsome boy. The mother cat has been spayed and rehomed to a friend of mine and is a very happy house cat and all the other kitties found super homes and are all doing well.
:)
 
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