Horse is fitting after head injury- what are my chances?

Been following this since the start. So so pleased that your horse is getting there! I know I got a phone call one morning telling me my horse had blood all down his legs and face. He had been kicked in the had and had a fractured forehead! Lucky no last damage!
 
Jim bob said:
Been following this since the start. So so pleased that your horse is getting there! I know I got a phone call one morning telling me my horse had blood all down his legs and face. He had been kicked in the had and had a fractured forehead! Lucky no last damage!
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Horses never fail to suprise us! Hope he is okay.

Hope your mare makes a full recovery OP :)
 
High Hope said:
Sorry for the late post!

She's not eating this morning, has barely touched her hay over night and she's scouring a bit...

BUT she has drunk a bit, she finished two small dinners of her old feed and a huge one of the new feed yesterday so I'm not too worried at this stage.

I gave her the oral dose Metacam to make sure she'd get it, so I'm not overly surprised she didn't touch her brekkie!!! I've left it in her stable, hopefully it'll be gone by the next time I see her.

I'll check her again after work tonight and see whether I need the vet and she still needs her morphine or not

You're all amazing, thank you so much! :)
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I am SO pleased to hear that she is scouring! In humans, morphine will give you constipation and I was terrified your next report was going to be colic.

So glad things are looking up.
 
We had a Shetland that ate something poisonous. She fitted for a few weeks. We padded her stable with mattresses and anytime I seen her fit I sedated her. She literally didn't eat, pee or poo for about two weeks. It was horrible. But she stood up the whole time so the vet didn't want to give up. After s month she came half right. Never fitted but was really 'dopey' she retired and pottered about our yard for years happily x
 
Am so pleased the mare is getting better, it's such a worry when you are hoping for the best yet fearing the worst...my sons Polocrosse horse was hit in the forehead by a polo ball 4 years ago and had a depressed fracture over her frontal sinus bone, had to go to leahurst for an op...but she is fine now..xxxx
 
Well she's drunk a massive bucket of water, but she's still not touched her brekkie or any food :( and she's still scouring something rotten

Vet says to give her til tomorrow night, and it's likely because of the come down from the morphine- then get them out if she's still not eaten by then.

the Metacam doesn't seem to have much effect? That's the only thing she's on ATM
 
Would it be worth asking the vet about weaning her off the opiates a little more slowly? The metacam is an NSAID, so may well help with any swelling, but the steep drop off of the morphine may be a problem for her?
 
The scouring might just be because she's in. My boy used to get the runs if he had to be stabled for a day or two.

Bit of a faff, but to get some fibre into your mare you could try soaking some grass nuts or high fibre cubes and then rolling the mash into little balls to be fed by hand. I've done this a few times with horses that are unwell or are stiff and don't want to stretch.

Hope all's okay OP and that things take another upward turn:-)
 
She's refusing to eat, at all

Vet is now refusing to give her any more pain relief. He'd rather leave her in pain and distraught than risk any side effects. Danilon is all he'll let me give her

I might be exhausted and irrational, but I feel like that really isn't on :/ apparently he'll come out to 'check her over' but he won't give her any different drugs???

How is it less cruel to let her suffer, than give her relief and risk side effects???

Apparently 'a head injury is going to hurt'
Well DUH.

Distinctly annoyed and upset right now :(
 
What an awful situation high hope �� Is your vet part of a practise- could you ring for an opinion/ visit from another vet?

I'd not be happy with this either. I haven't read your whole thread, but surely it's better to risk side effects but keep the horse comfortable, so I'm totally with you there!!

Has the vet offered much idea of a longer term prognosis/ any experience of similar cases?
 
Another one here who has been following your thread and hoping for your mare to pull through.

This is the same vet who accidentally overdosed her on morphine a couple of days ago? He wants to switch to Danilon when she's refusing to eat? That doesn't sound right. I'd be asking (pestering) the vet again for better pain relief. I'm sorry, this must be so tough for you.
 
Do please ask for a second opinion from your vet practice if you feel up to it. If your current vet is acting professionally he should not object to this, and you will feel that you have got thorough advice. You are the client, and your mare is the most important thing for you right now.
 
High Hope said:
She's refusing to eat, at all

Vet is now refusing to give her any more pain relief. He'd rather leave her in pain and distraught than risk any side effects. Danilon is all he'll let me give her

I might be exhausted and irrational, but I feel like that really isn't on :/ apparently he'll come out to 'check her over' but he won't give her any different drugs???

How is it less cruel to let her suffer, than give her relief and risk side effects???

Apparently 'a head injury is going to hurt'
Well DUH.

Distinctly annoyed and upset right now :(
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Get another opinion/ change vets. Of course it's going to ------ hurt, but that's no reason to leave the poor horse in pain!!! Would it be acceptable to leave a patient in a hospital with a head injury in pain "in case of the side affects"!!??

^^ This above isn't directed at you OP, just your vet.
 
Yes, it is the one who initially went overboard on the Morphine.

Mum asked her vet for advice, and a different vet at the practice.

Mums vet was much nicer about it, and says I don't need to worry until 48 hours after I last KNOW she ate, so she's ok til I finish work tomorrow.

I'm going to have to buy a bigger syringe tomorrow and try getting the danilon into her that way.

I'm feeling pretty disheartened right now. And after the way he spoke to me, there is no way in hell im dealing with that vet again.

'A head injury will hurt' indeed!!!
 
I'd be ringing an emergency vet from another practice, I'm so sorry you are going through this. But if it was one of mine I don't think I'd be ok with this going on any longer. I'm so sorry.
 
Cannot imagine what you are going through HH. If your horse is still distressed and you are unhappy with your existing vet, I would also get another vet out from another practice. Listen to your gut instinct. Good luck.
 
I think I may be speaking to a different vet, either from the practice or a different one for their opinion. Is sedating for tube feeding out of the question due to her head injury? What about a vitamin B injection to see if that will help stimulate her appetite? I agree with your mums vet in that as long as she's drinking plenty then I her lack of appetite for a few days is of less importance than her water intake (from what I was told by vet a little while back). I really hope she improves for you..trying to look at things from a human perspective and I guess these injuries can take time to sort themselves out (not that that will make things any easier for you!)
 
High Hope said:
She's refusing to eat, at all

Vet is now refusing to give her any more pain relief. He'd rather leave her in pain and distraught than risk any side effects. Danilon is all he'll let me give her

I might be exhausted and irrational, but I feel like that really isn't on :/ apparently he'll come out to 'check her over' but he won't give her any different drugs???

How is it less cruel to let her suffer, than give her relief and risk side effects???

Apparently 'a head injury is going to hurt'
Well DUH.

Distinctly annoyed and upset right now :(
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I'm 'sort-of' with your vet. If with no pain relief, she reverts back to 'fitting', then there is only one answer. If she can cope, albeit with difficulty, without pain relief, but deteriorates, then again, there is only one answer.

H_H, you must listen to your vet. What I've done at such times when reason and logic seem in short supply, is ask the vet "Were she your horse, what would YOU do"?

I wish that I could be more positive.

Alec. (have a hug).
 
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