galaxy
Well-Known Member
Where to start..... I've had such a bad couple of days!
On Sunday morning I went up to check my horse. He's living out at the moment. I opened the gate and I could see from 50 metres he didn't look right. As I approached him I realised that his head was twice the size it usually was, and that his whole neck, throat, shoulder, belly - in fact verything accept his loins and rump where really swollen.
Brought him into the yard (once I found a headcollar big enough), and my usually chilled out boy was beside himself, constantly fidgeting and obviously in a great deal of discomfort.
So I called the vet out, I was very concerned because of the extent of the swelling that it might interfere with his oesophagus or wind pipe, although his breathing did seem to be fine. When she came out she diagnosed a severe allergic reaction, although I am at a total loss as to what too. I've had him for 7 years and never had a problem, and he's been at this yard for 2 years, in that field a fair few times, and he's been in there for the past 6 weeks. Anyway, that's another dilema.
So (sorry this is long!) the vet prescribed him steriods. She has given me the tablets because he is a New Forest Pony, and although he has never had laminitus before, apparently Steroinds can induce it. So the tablets are beneficial rather than an injection because they are shorter acting, and if he does start to show signs on laminitus I can take him straight off them. The swellings have now gone down.
This is where my big problem is. Although he is a normally chilled out New Forest Pony, he is naturally a poor doer, and I have problems keeping weight on him, there is nothing physically worng with him he just can't be bothered to eat unless there is quite a lot of grass. He is normally on a fair bit of grass, and he is never over-weight and he works quite hard. But now, because of this risk of laminitus I have moved him into a field with very little grass. My problem isn't him loosing weight, I can have that battle when he's fully recovered. My problem is that he has become really depressed!!! Because of the set-up of the yard he is now in this field by himself, and I am 99% sure that is the problem. He is in a field right next to his friends, but everytime I go up he runs straight over to me, and when anyone goes in his field he just follows them around. He just doesn't seem himself. I have gone through every scenario, but there just isn't a horse I can put in there with him without upsetting all the other liveries and causing major disruption. And because this is only a short term thing, probably about a month I really don't want to cause a fuss. My Yard Manager is away on holiday at the moment, and it's actually me and her sister looking after the yard. I don't think he's majorly hungry at the moment, yeaterday I put in some hay for him that had been over-soaked and he just wasn't interested.
So that's my problem, sorry it has been so long! Has anyone got any ideas how I can cheer my poor little lad up? Usually I'd give him treats, but because of the laminitus risk I don't think that's an option. Any suggestions welcome!! Please, I've a a real nightmare couple of days with other things in my life too, and I can't cope with my poor lad looking so sad! I don't want to leave him!
By the way, I am usually logged on as "gingsgreyhorse", but I'm having such a "mare" at the moment I couldn't even log on, so had to make up a new name!
On Sunday morning I went up to check my horse. He's living out at the moment. I opened the gate and I could see from 50 metres he didn't look right. As I approached him I realised that his head was twice the size it usually was, and that his whole neck, throat, shoulder, belly - in fact verything accept his loins and rump where really swollen.
Brought him into the yard (once I found a headcollar big enough), and my usually chilled out boy was beside himself, constantly fidgeting and obviously in a great deal of discomfort.
So I called the vet out, I was very concerned because of the extent of the swelling that it might interfere with his oesophagus or wind pipe, although his breathing did seem to be fine. When she came out she diagnosed a severe allergic reaction, although I am at a total loss as to what too. I've had him for 7 years and never had a problem, and he's been at this yard for 2 years, in that field a fair few times, and he's been in there for the past 6 weeks. Anyway, that's another dilema.
So (sorry this is long!) the vet prescribed him steriods. She has given me the tablets because he is a New Forest Pony, and although he has never had laminitus before, apparently Steroinds can induce it. So the tablets are beneficial rather than an injection because they are shorter acting, and if he does start to show signs on laminitus I can take him straight off them. The swellings have now gone down.
This is where my big problem is. Although he is a normally chilled out New Forest Pony, he is naturally a poor doer, and I have problems keeping weight on him, there is nothing physically worng with him he just can't be bothered to eat unless there is quite a lot of grass. He is normally on a fair bit of grass, and he is never over-weight and he works quite hard. But now, because of this risk of laminitus I have moved him into a field with very little grass. My problem isn't him loosing weight, I can have that battle when he's fully recovered. My problem is that he has become really depressed!!! Because of the set-up of the yard he is now in this field by himself, and I am 99% sure that is the problem. He is in a field right next to his friends, but everytime I go up he runs straight over to me, and when anyone goes in his field he just follows them around. He just doesn't seem himself. I have gone through every scenario, but there just isn't a horse I can put in there with him without upsetting all the other liveries and causing major disruption. And because this is only a short term thing, probably about a month I really don't want to cause a fuss. My Yard Manager is away on holiday at the moment, and it's actually me and her sister looking after the yard. I don't think he's majorly hungry at the moment, yeaterday I put in some hay for him that had been over-soaked and he just wasn't interested.
So that's my problem, sorry it has been so long! Has anyone got any ideas how I can cheer my poor little lad up? Usually I'd give him treats, but because of the laminitus risk I don't think that's an option. Any suggestions welcome!! Please, I've a a real nightmare couple of days with other things in my life too, and I can't cope with my poor lad looking so sad! I don't want to leave him!
By the way, I am usually logged on as "gingsgreyhorse", but I'm having such a "mare" at the moment I couldn't even log on, so had to make up a new name!
