Hector poorly - vet been

S_N

S_N

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So I got the the yard and made feeds and got a bale of hay in the back of my truck to take down with me, plus a bucket of carrots to scatter on the hay and drove down the track to the field in the rapidly falling dusk. Berry was standing to attention in his gateway and B opposite in hers, but no Hector? It's pretty damned dark by this time, so could only see in the path of the headlights. Berry was getting most annoyed about me being 5 mins late (or an hour in his book, due to the clocks changing
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). So I quickly fed him to shut him up and went in search of H - more than little worried by now!!! All kinds of things were running through my mind, though B was was there and wasn't upset...... I was getting upset! Well I found him - thank you Tuppence for pointing out the large scary object on the ground!! He was lying down all curled up - his nose was tucked right in. I got him up and felt under his LW TO and he wasn't hot or anything and he seemed pleased to see me, so although I was a little skeptical, I just thought he was being Hector - he lies down LOADS!!! So I went and got his and B's feeds from where I left them at the gate. Fed B and H ambled after me to his feed bowl - though he wasn't as keen as usual. As I poured his feed in, he lay down, stretched out and groaned!!!! I was on the phone to vet before I could drop the bucket! Got him up, threw a section of hay at B and at Berry, got a headcollar out of the truck and moved it out of the way, went back for H, who was down again. Dragged him up to the yard and on the way he did what sounded like cow pats - serious evacuation!! I couldn't see, coz it was pitch black by now and hadn't thought to get torch out of truck
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Got him up to the yard, having rung YO to say what was happening, she was waiting for me when I got there, bless her and the first thing H did when he got in the stable was wee for England!! I took his rug off and he wasn't sweating a drop - bone dry!! I got my stethascope and thermometer out and took his temp, a healthy 38, his resps, were 12 (a little high, but not really) and his heart rate was 36 - bang on! I felt a fraud now for calling the vet, but he was just so quiet, not his normal cheeky self! Vet came and rectaled him, only got out a very small, very loose handful and she said his ceacum was very gurgully though and to watch him for dehydration!! She gave him some buscopan (H's first IV injection, he was EXCELLENT!!!) and told me to keep him in for the night and give him a very sloppy bran mash and soaked hay. YO is checking on him a couple of times tonight for me - she really is a star!! So left H all tucked up in a nice stable, with very well soaked hay and tucking into a hot bran mash, with fibre nuts and molasses and salt - smelt divine!!

God knows why I have just written all of that in such minute detail - was kinda cathartic though! Cookies for getting this far!!
 
I'm impressed you could leave him.
When mine colic, I end up babysitting them til midnight, then OH and I take it in turns to drive to the yard and check them through the night, especially when we calculate the Buscopan will have worn off.
You must be made of sterner stuff.
Hope he's ok for you.
S
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Gosh if it's not one thing it's another with all these foals
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. Poor Hector; aren't they just so good when they are ill though. Hope he feels better soon.
 
That sounds like he's picked up a bug from somewhere , and like us should be ok once he has passed it through his system.
Knowing you I very much doubt there is anything toxic in his field, so it sounds more like a bug.
Good vibes to him, honestly the traumas horses put us through..
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I'm impressed you could leave him.
When mine colic, I end up babysitting them til midnight, then OH and I take it in turns to drive to the yard and check them through the night, especially when we calculate the Buscopan will have worn off.
You must be made of sterner stuff.
Hope he's ok for you.
S
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No, not made of sterner stuff! I wanted to stay, but I had to come back to work, as I had an owner coming to say goodbye to their newly bought filly, as she's going to Ireland at 6.30 in the morning and I had late feeds here to do and everyone else has gone to the cinema................. Also my YO is FABULOUS and I trust her word when she says she'll check him through the night for me - also the vet said that me being there and fretting, wouldn't help him! This the first colic any horse of mine has ever had - worked with loads though - but I can't help thinking that it could be GS..........
 
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Gosh if it's not one thing it's another with all these foals
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. Poor Hector; aren't they just so good when they are ill though. Hope he feels better soon.

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They are always so adorable when poorly sick.....
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Oh no poor little lad !! Your heart must have stopped when you found him all curled up like that and he kept lying down- that is so scary! Fingers crossed that he feels better tomorrow morning!!
 
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That sounds like he's picked up a bug from somewhere , and like us should be ok once he has passed it through his system.
Knowing you I very much doubt there is anything toxic in his field, so it sounds more like a bug.
Good vibes to him, honestly the traumas horses put us through..
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I know there is nothing toxic in his field, you're right
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But I can't help but think of GS...... he was evacuating with such force!! When I walked back down to get my truck in the moonlight, I could see it splattered on the track! I know we always think the worst, but still...... I hope it is just a bug! It's nothing to do with recent worming either, as he was wormed 2 weeks ago, so too long ago to be a reaction.....
 
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Oh no poor little lad !! Your heart must have stopped when you found him all curled up like that and he kept lying down- that is so scary! Fingers crossed that he feels better tomorrow morning!!

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Stop? I stopped breathing!! Even Tuppence barking and growling at him didn't rouse him initially - though when he's asleep, a bomb could go off virtually under him without him noticing....... It's insane, I've had to deal with so many colics in horses I've worked with - this year alone, I've had 4 operated on and one PTS due to post operative laminitis. I mean I worry about all the horses I work with, but this is the first time anything I've owned has ever had colic.......... Wish I could have stayed there.......
 
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Poor little man,Hugs to you and gentle hugs to H.And a big hug to Tuppence for finding H in the dark.

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Tuppence was very brave actually!! She was really cross with him for lying down and nearly got in his lap (would have been funny any other time) and then he moved and she took off for the hills!!! Thanks hun, I'll tell him Auntie S loves him in the am!
 
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Most colics turn out to be nothing at all...it's the wrong time of year for GS, and probably the wrong weather conditions if memory serves.
Don't worry
S
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Tis true about the most colics thing..... don't think that there is a wrongtime of year for GS is there? Forgive my memory, but hasn't someone on here very recently lost a horse to GS? You know what we horse owners are like though - esp. with your first homebred - we make mountains out of mole hills!! Could really do with a cigarette right now tbh......
 
Don't knock yourself up; you did all you could and caught it earlier than a lot of people would. Now, H needs to pull his finger out and get better again. Honestly, they're worse than kids, at least the kids can tell you where it hurts. Fingers crossed he will be better tomorrow and will wonder what all the fuss has been about. I bet he sleeps better than you tonight that's for sure!
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Most colics turn out to be nothing at all...it's the wrong time of year for GS, and probably the wrong weather conditions if memory serves.
Don't worry
S
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Tis true about the most colics thing..... don't think that there is a wrongtime of year for GS is there? Forgive my memory, but hasn't someone on here very recently lost a horse to GS? You know what we horse owners are like though - esp. with your first homebred - we make mountains out of mole hills!! Could really do with a cigarette right now tbh......

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Most colics don't require anything more than a bit of Buscopan and TLC...it is rare to need surgery....and grass sickness is pretty rare too. Here's a link to assuage some of your worries;

http://www.grasssickness.org.uk/main.htm

S
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Thank you everyone!!! Sorry I haven't replied to everyone!! I am seeing double now and am going to go and try and sleep. Thank you all!!
 
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