Maybe the vets right

[Dancing_Diva]

So I seem to be having a spell of rotten luck animal wise at the moment! In May my Falabella died from grass sickness, my mare was then diagnosed with grass sickness two days later. Then the same mare had severe itching problems, and now due to steroids (to sort the itching) and stress from the grass sickness she has laminitis. Oh and the severe itching is back with a vengeance!

I feel like I'm a huge pain in the arse to my vet, she probably hates seeing my name appear on her phone and thinks "oh god what does she want now" as I seem to speak to her over some problem at least twice/three times a week! To be fair I've gone 16 years with no need for a vet other then yearly jabs.

Yesterday my Guinea pig ended up having unplanned surgery to drain a massive abscess he somehow got. The rabbit seems off colour this evening and a little quieter then usual..

And to top everything off my cousins cob who I took on is broken 😞 his under a McTimoney person, with consent from my vet. If after a few sessions he's not any different he'll be off to the vets for a full lameness work up and X-rays etc..

Now the vets know me just through my voice. Everyone at my yard when they hear someone down there's got the vet automatically assume it's me (to be fair since May it's has always been me haha!) everything just seems rubbish right now!

Had vet out for a couple of jabs today and I completely forgot one of the horses passports. The vet joked that they see me so often at the moment they can always sign it when out next.

She then said when I said in conversation about the Guinea pig she said, Have you considered not having animals anymore?!

She was joking, I know her we'll enough to not take offence to what she said.. I think she's right though! Maybe I should just give up and not have animals anymore? Please tell me I'm not alone in having a run of back luck animals wise and that it'll get better?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

sorry to hear of your horrible luck, GS is just awful. I think, if you have a fair few animals, that these things seem to run in cycles although its little consolation. I've lost two dogs (only one was elderly) and a cat in the last 6 months plus some of my favourite birds. It is just a run of bad luck x

 

[Pinkvboots]

It is very upsetting when a run of bad luck just seems to go on and on but I think sometimes we just have a run of it and it's just one thing after another, and it's going to be worse when you have multiple animals but I can assure you it doesn't last forever, I had 2 of my horses on box rest at the same time last year and then one was pts so it happens to most of us, I hope your spell of bad luck ends soon x

 

[poiuytrewq]

Ah op I so know the feeling. I've got to the point I'm like a standing joke at work. They love to take the Mick out of my animals and the fact I have a vet on speed dial.
We have had a horrible few years but before that like you never ever had a vet out.
It's just desperately demoralising isn't it. Not to mention expensive
Hope our runs are over soon! Hugs x

 

[Dancing_Diva]

Ah op I so know the feeling. I've got to the point I'm like a standing joke at work. They love to take the Mick out of my animals and the fact I have a vet on speed dial.
We have had a horrible few years but before that like you never ever had a vet out.
It's just desperately demoralising isn't it. Not to mention expensive
Hope our runs are over soon! Hugs x

It certainly is. The amount of times I've questioned my ability to be a decent owner recently is untrue. I feel like my best for my animals isn't good enough and I'm a pants owner!

Be glad when this year is over! X

 

[Meowy Catkin]

In a world where Rachelle Peel still has horses, it feels so utterly and fundamentally unfair that a wonderful owner like you has had such a bad run of luck and is now feeling this way.

I'm so sorry that you've had so many problems and illnesses with your animals, but it's not your fault and you have got veterinary help for them. I hope your rabbit is fine tomorrow, that the guinea pig has no further abscess trouble and that the cob and your mare make a full recovery.

 

[Mrs B]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, D_D ...

It does seem to go like that sometimes and I do empathise ... year before last, mine were in Horsepital so often in a short period that I nearly had my own box ... I lost 2 in 8 weeks :'(

... then my 'new' one got kicked after the most careful introduction to his new field mates in history and back we were in Horsepital.

All fingers and toes crossed that your bad luck has run its course x

 

[Peggs]

Poor you I fully sympathise with you. It is physically and financially draining but I find the emotional stress of it is very very hard to put into words, its just the worst!

My big troubles, I've always had bad luck with horses but it's really got bad lately, started this time last year with a PSSM diagnosis. All 5 of my guys have been under the vet. I had 4 days last week where I thought things might be on the up, but no, slightly swollen pastern this morning!
It's also got to a point where I'm a real hypochondriac over my horses however dealing with vets has really knocked my confidence, they don't always have the greatest bedside manner :/

I genuinely believe someone out there really hates me and has made voodoo dolls of all my horses!!

Edited: just to say that although it is rough at the moment the vet is completely wrong, don't give up on having four legged friends. Life throws a bad set of cards at you sometimes and in the end it makes you more appreciative of when the going is good and it is such a lovely feeling when things do go right and, you learn not to take it for granted!

 

[LansdownK310]

Don't worry - it isn't just you. I don't have to say my name, the girls at the vets know my voice in the phone. I joked about having a horse on permanent livery there. I've lost 3 in 2 years in succession - the last two 6 months apart, my robust Cob damaged her hock getting cast and I was advised to PTS two weeks ago - heart breaking. But that said My vets are fab - they sent me a huge bunch of flowers last week and have generally been ace. Luck has to change, luckily I have a very supportive other half who has urged me to get something else. So chin up, they put us through hell, we move heaven and earth for them but wouldn't be without! x

 

[Leo Walker]

There was a brief period of time a couple of years ago where the vets recognised me over the phone. I do have a bit of an accent, but mainly it was because I was never off the blumming phone to them! I got the horse in question right and rarely ring them nowadays. They still recognise me, but thats because they know me know, not that I need them out a lot. This too will pass

 

[peaceandquiet1]

Grass sickness is not your fault although it does feel like it. You actually sound like a very good owner to me. Just rotten luck. Seems sometimes to happen to those who care the most.

 

[JillA]

It's called Sods Law of Horses (animals) - you see many many neglected or semi neglected horses in brilliant health, but those who are well cared for seem to contract no end of unrelated problems. I once lost a yearling in a ditch around a field, despite daily checks, while there were numerous equines in nearby fields with ditches, bad fencing, parked farm machinery etc who never came to any harm.

 

[Dancing_Diva]

It's called Sods Law of Horses (animals) - you see many many neglected or semi neglected horses in brilliant health, but those who are well cared for seem to contract no end of unrelated problems. I once lost a yearling in a ditch around a field, despite daily checks, while there were numerous equines in nearby fields with ditches, bad fencing, parked farm machinery etc who never came to any harm.

This is exactly what I said to my cousin. I do my darn best for my horses and then there's people who neglect there's and never get anything wrong with them! It's crazy and totally unfair!


Horsemadmum1 - thank you, my horses get the best of everything. If they need a vet they get one. The amount of people I've had tell me I don't need a vet recently and that they wouldn't be doing what I'm doing for my mare, they'd just put her down really annoy me! And thats came from someone who's pony struggles to breath has the start of a collapsed windpipe and only got the vet out to diagnose that because they got reported to World Horse Welfare!!

 

[DD]

I had 25 years of horseownership with only the vet out twice in that time and both minor things. Then I had a spell of loosing horses, various reasons, old age, disease. Thought it would never end. its awful at the time but I wouldnt want to be without my animals.

 

[atropa]

I feel exactly the same at the moment. I do the very best I can for my animals but since the end of May I've had one mare on box rest/in horsepital for colic, then laminitis, then another bout of colic. I've been away this past weekend and now having to take my older cat to the vet tomorrow because she has inexplicably lost one bottom canine tooth and the other is broken and hanging out of her mouth! On top of this I'm losing some of my mice to old age. It sucks

 

[Dancing_Diva]

Well I now feel well and truly naff 😢

My cousins new mare was a little highly strung yesterday and broke loose and run off across the yard! My cousin asked me to ride her/bring her in today, brought in fine, rode fine. Tied on yard afterwards and the mares got stressy, pacing, pawing trying to pull back etc.. Next thing all I can do is stand back and watch from the tack room door as mares pulled back broken loose gone backwards into my field fence, reared gone over backwards breaking three posts and god knows how many rails getting stuck in the kids trampoline before getting up and p******** off!!

Thankfully no injuries other then a few superficial cuts! Am I honestly jinxed or something?? Feel like I should just stay away from every animal going right now. Why me?

I'm just doomed! Really scared me, what if I had of been on her? What if my cousin had been there and her daughter had of been on that trampoline? Was it something I did?

The mares been here three weeks now, and has recently come into season! Has been foot perfect up till yesterday! Vets out tomorrow to check the mare over etc...

 

[debsflo]

I think we all go through these bad phases and then start to feel a bit paranoid. I used to be the same when I had a couple on box rest with different issues and I think it's the same when you have babies and young children and feel you live at the Dr's. It will get better.

 

[frostyfingers]

A few years back we had a similar run of bad luck with our animals and our vet told us that we were the biggest spending customer that month Bearing in mind we had 1 horse, 1 pony, 2 dogs & 2 cats and they are a five vet practice this was quite an achievement! Not one I'd like to repeat though. I'm sorry you're having such a bad time, hopefully it will pass soon and you can get going again.