When I arrived at the yard this morning, Lizzie screamed at me as soon as she heard my voice. Normally, she’ll nicker at me, but this was prolonged enough to make me and everyone else standing around laugh at the over-the-top welcome.
As it turns out, she was relieved to see me because she was sick again. The leg that had swollen so terribly before was hot and sausage-like, she was panting and her pulse was bounding; she was unable to move. Called the vet, and as we were waiting for her to show up, Lizzie started to go down. I tried to keep her up, but she went down on her front knees with her face in the shavings, then flopped over on her side and started groaning. I called the vet’s emergency service again. “Wherever she is, get her out here now!” Lizzie, a tense and suspicious type, doesn’t like people in her stall at all, and would never lie down with anyone there.
The vet duly arrived, and we tried to get her up, which took, in the end, some rather rough treatment to finally convince her to regain her feet. High temperature, obvious pain, slight bloody discharge from her vulva, grotesquely swollen leg. Despite the possible tying-up this week and the discovery of a poisonous shrub outside the area where she’d been turned out, the vet said that it was probably lymphangitis, which can be painful enough to cause horses to colic from the stress. Painkillers, anti-inflammatories and steriods were administered, and within ten minutes Lizzie was recovered enough to pee (she’d been in too much pain to do so, and was obviously bursting) and eat a bit. They’ll test for everything possible in the blood, but she strongly feels that this is just lymphangitis, which can happen again. :(
I’m really at a loss. Money is flowing like water into the desert, and I don’t know what to do about her.
Back to the stable to see if she’s recovered enough for hand-walking. *sigh*
How awful … definitely why I don’t have a horse right now, they do drink money like water.
I hope she recovers and has no more of these episodes.
oh no!
I hope you get those blood results soon and figure out what’s up — so you can manage it and keep her happy.
sending good thoughts her way — and you too. I know how horrid this can be :S
Oh no! I hope she shows signs of improvement.
*hug*
Poor Lizzie, hope she is well again soon. Have you thought about using homeopathy with her? our dog is very anxious and the dog training people have suggested using bach flower remedies with her. If she is a generally nervous girl homeopathy could help her health.