Bkane530
New User
Hi everyone,
So before I go into the problem ill give a quick background.. I own a 15.2 cob 9yo called Casper who i loaned out when i went to uni (2.5 years ago) as a happy hacker. I received him back about 2 weeks ago quite skinny and with really long hooves and really bad manners. Anyway, yesterday he seemed a bit lame (very slight) on the right front leg, and today when i went to feed him (i am still in uni) he could barely put pressure on it, and was SUPER lame, holding pressure off it when standing.
So obviously, I called out the emergency vet. Understand it is dark and in the field (couldn't walk him much at all), and the vet actually had to sedate him because he was freaking out at this stranger with a torch on his head trying to lift his legs. My friend said she thought she saw a nail in his hoof, but there was no nail. The vet was honestly a bit obnoxious and when i asked what could be making him lame he said he doesn't look lame to me, but he was sedated and barely awake! Anyway, he left and I stayed with Casper until he came out of his drowsiness and his right tendon felt SLIGHTLY hotter than his left, the rest of his leg had no swelling, heat, obvious injury etc. So am I right in thinking this is most likely a pulled ligament or tendon? Again I asked the vet if I would ring him in the morning if hes no better or worse, he gave me a course of Bute and said no, ring after the course if hes not better.
So I took it upon myself to box rest him tonight (he lives out 24/7 and is not happy about it! But he keeps trying to walk through the field like a duck!) and I will keep him stabled with a walk every few hours around the yard just to see if there is any improvement or if indeed he is getting worse.
Now my two problems. I am a broke broke broke student and have £600 set aside in savings for moments like this but I would imagine quite a chunk of that was taken tonight! What happens when I run out of money for these vets to come out? We grow all our own hay and our only real outgoings are farrier and vet (and worming etc). I really really don't want to put him down just for the sake of money, but I feel I might be stuck in that position. His mother, now 14, lives out 24/7 with him and they are inseparable, and she would genuinely die of heartbreak if he was either given to a charity or put down. I really really would die if I had to give them both up to a charity just to keep them together as they are family. I don't even care if he can never be ridden again, just as long as he can live in the field with his bestie. Do I call the vet back in a few days if he is no better or worse? Or do I keep him on box rest for a few weeks and see if there's any change?
Please no condescending comments this is extremely stressful as it is. I haven't eaten or slept since yesterday worrying. Thank you all so much in advance.
So before I go into the problem ill give a quick background.. I own a 15.2 cob 9yo called Casper who i loaned out when i went to uni (2.5 years ago) as a happy hacker. I received him back about 2 weeks ago quite skinny and with really long hooves and really bad manners. Anyway, yesterday he seemed a bit lame (very slight) on the right front leg, and today when i went to feed him (i am still in uni) he could barely put pressure on it, and was SUPER lame, holding pressure off it when standing.
So obviously, I called out the emergency vet. Understand it is dark and in the field (couldn't walk him much at all), and the vet actually had to sedate him because he was freaking out at this stranger with a torch on his head trying to lift his legs. My friend said she thought she saw a nail in his hoof, but there was no nail. The vet was honestly a bit obnoxious and when i asked what could be making him lame he said he doesn't look lame to me, but he was sedated and barely awake! Anyway, he left and I stayed with Casper until he came out of his drowsiness and his right tendon felt SLIGHTLY hotter than his left, the rest of his leg had no swelling, heat, obvious injury etc. So am I right in thinking this is most likely a pulled ligament or tendon? Again I asked the vet if I would ring him in the morning if hes no better or worse, he gave me a course of Bute and said no, ring after the course if hes not better.
So I took it upon myself to box rest him tonight (he lives out 24/7 and is not happy about it! But he keeps trying to walk through the field like a duck!) and I will keep him stabled with a walk every few hours around the yard just to see if there is any improvement or if indeed he is getting worse.
Now my two problems. I am a broke broke broke student and have £600 set aside in savings for moments like this but I would imagine quite a chunk of that was taken tonight! What happens when I run out of money for these vets to come out? We grow all our own hay and our only real outgoings are farrier and vet (and worming etc). I really really don't want to put him down just for the sake of money, but I feel I might be stuck in that position. His mother, now 14, lives out 24/7 with him and they are inseparable, and she would genuinely die of heartbreak if he was either given to a charity or put down. I really really would die if I had to give them both up to a charity just to keep them together as they are family. I don't even care if he can never be ridden again, just as long as he can live in the field with his bestie. Do I call the vet back in a few days if he is no better or worse? Or do I keep him on box rest for a few weeks and see if there's any change?
Please no condescending comments this is extremely stressful as it is. I haven't eaten or slept since yesterday worrying. Thank you all so much in advance.