Sick pony
Poor Clover was sick last week. I tried riding her on Wednesday the 8th and she was so sluggish, way beyond her normal slow way of going. I got off and got her settled in to eat, and when I checked to see if she'd finished her dinner, she hadn't eaten much. Normally she tears right in and goes right into her hay once she's finished, but she was just picking at her hay, and I got worried. And when I thought about it, she hadn't pooped since I'd been there, normally she poops when I start riding or shortly before. When you're a horse person, poop is crucial.
I took her temperature and it was 102.5 F! Her pulse and respiration were at the upper level of normal. I called Jen to let her know and called the vet, who suggested I give Clover a dose of banamine (a non-steroidal NSAID) to see if that gave her any relief, pull any hay and grain from her stall, and call back in an hour or so if she didn't show improvement. When Clover didn't, I called Dr. Erickson back and she came out.
While I waited (with Sarah, who thankfully kept me company and from panicking; Tony brought me out some dinner, bless his Darn Tough socks), Clover's temp went to 103, and she started panting a bit. Her pulse and respiration were elevated as the fever took hold and she was clearly uncomfortable as she would alternate listlessly browsing for hay bits and shifting her legs while standing. In hindsight I should have changed her midweight blanket for a lighter sheet to make her a little more comfortable.
Dr. Erickson arrived and assessed the situation; she checked Clover's vitals and said that Clover's left lung sounded a little harsh. So what I initially thought was colic was more likely a virus, and to be sure there wasn't an infection, Dr. Erickson took four vials of blood for testing and administered two large doses of antibiotic to poor Clover's rump. By this time her temp had dropped to 101.5, and she was seeming a little more comfortable.
Dr. Erickson suggested we soak her hay and food for the next day, to help get water into her, and to check her temp again in a couple of hours and in the morning, and if it rose above 101.5, to give her a half dose of banamine and call her. Also to monitor her poop output and look out for any nasal discharge. In the meantime she'd have the blood tested and said we should call her for a follow up visit in a few days.
I went home for a little while, drank a couple of cups of tea and headed back to check on Clover around 1 am:
Since she seemed a lot better, I stopped worrying so much, and went home to sleep. Jen checked on Clover in the morning, and while her temp stayed in the normal range, she wasn't eating as heartily as she normally did. Dr. Erickson called and confirmed that there was no infection, but Clover's white blood cell count was low, so it was most likely a random virus moving through. After few days of less-than-hearty eating, Clover finally nickered for her breakfast one morning and tucked right in. When I fed her that night it was great to see her plunge her nose into her feed dish and pull it closer for more efficient eating.
Nom nom nom-ing while rain falls on the metal roof
Dr. Erickson came out for a follow up and the blood work showed Clover's white blood cell count back to normal and I was cleared to ride. "Just don't kill her," she quipped . No worries there, doc.
I took her temperature and it was 102.5 F! Her pulse and respiration were at the upper level of normal. I called Jen to let her know and called the vet, who suggested I give Clover a dose of banamine (a non-steroidal NSAID) to see if that gave her any relief, pull any hay and grain from her stall, and call back in an hour or so if she didn't show improvement. When Clover didn't, I called Dr. Erickson back and she came out.
While I waited (with Sarah, who thankfully kept me company and from panicking; Tony brought me out some dinner, bless his Darn Tough socks), Clover's temp went to 103, and she started panting a bit. Her pulse and respiration were elevated as the fever took hold and she was clearly uncomfortable as she would alternate listlessly browsing for hay bits and shifting her legs while standing. In hindsight I should have changed her midweight blanket for a lighter sheet to make her a little more comfortable.
Dr. Erickson arrived and assessed the situation; she checked Clover's vitals and said that Clover's left lung sounded a little harsh. So what I initially thought was colic was more likely a virus, and to be sure there wasn't an infection, Dr. Erickson took four vials of blood for testing and administered two large doses of antibiotic to poor Clover's rump. By this time her temp had dropped to 101.5, and she was seeming a little more comfortable.
Dr. Erickson suggested we soak her hay and food for the next day, to help get water into her, and to check her temp again in a couple of hours and in the morning, and if it rose above 101.5, to give her a half dose of banamine and call her. Also to monitor her poop output and look out for any nasal discharge. In the meantime she'd have the blood tested and said we should call her for a follow up visit in a few days.
I went home for a little while, drank a couple of cups of tea and headed back to check on Clover around 1 am:
Since she seemed a lot better, I stopped worrying so much, and went home to sleep. Jen checked on Clover in the morning, and while her temp stayed in the normal range, she wasn't eating as heartily as she normally did. Dr. Erickson called and confirmed that there was no infection, but Clover's white blood cell count was low, so it was most likely a random virus moving through. After few days of less-than-hearty eating, Clover finally nickered for her breakfast one morning and tucked right in. When I fed her that night it was great to see her plunge her nose into her feed dish and pull it closer for more efficient eating.
Nom nom nom-ing while rain falls on the metal roof
Dr. Erickson came out for a follow up and the blood work showed Clover's white blood cell count back to normal and I was cleared to ride. "Just don't kill her," she quipped . No worries there, doc.
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