Mumsnet Talk

Im gutted. After all that drama with finding him, and deciding to keep him, and everything, for him now to be ill and it looking bad just feels like a punch to the face!

Hes lost the ability to stand, I heard him neighing in the early hours of the morning, and found him down and unable to get up - Vets been out and here since 5am! The Horse is up now, finally after a mass of pain killers from the vet, and us all heaving him up, but hes very wobbly, and hes shaking, and im not confident that hes going to stay up.

Vets gone off now to test bloods, and im supposed to be leaving him The Horse that is to some peace and quiet, because everytime I go to check on him he tries to wobble over to me and he looks like hes about to fall over again.

Theres talk of colic, grass sickness, muscle atrophy or all sorts of things.

I just feel so helpless, and like I should be doing something to help him, and I cant.

And just to add insult to injury for the poor guy, hes not allowed to eat until the bloods come back, so everyone else has been fed but not him! As least he seems bright enough to be annoyed about that which is a plus I guess.

Oh no! I lurked on your last thread and was rooting for The Horse and was so relieved when you decided to keep him. I guess the only consulation is that he's had a happy few weeks with you despite his past, and you are doing everything you can for him now. Keeping fingers crossed he recovers.

Is this the one you found in your field? So sorry to hear this, sounds awful! I hope the vet comes back with some positive news!

Oh no

I hope the vet is back with better news soon.

Bloodwork is a good idea. How long has he been with you now? Hopefully if he was on medication for anything when he was dumped that will still show up, so treatment can be started quickly.

I really hope he is okay. He sounded like a wonderful horse, and you are a fantastic person to have taken him on.

oh no. Fingers crossed he's ok.

That's rotten luck after all that's happened. Hope he'll be ok.

<Fingers crossed he's just a big drama queen and has a simple tummy upset>

Oh no crossing everything for him that things improve x

So sorry to hear that, thinking about you and hoping for the best

hope is not grass sickness or any other horrible thing keep us posted, lots of love x

oh no, poor horse hope that isn't why he was dumped in the first place

Hey everyone, thanks for the responses.

The Horse is still with us. There seems to have been some improvement, all though hes not right iyswim? He had a stronger dose of painkillers this afternoon, and vet is returning in the morning to assess some more. His heart rate is still accelerated, and hes trembling, and is still wobbly at times, but at least hes up.

Tonight will be the deciding factor, I guess if hes still upright in the morning, then all will be well, if not ...well at least theres no option right.

Bloods were useless, well not useless, but vet said they came back halfway house. He was testing for muscle problems, due to The Horses inability to stand even after the pain killers for the stomach pain were administered this morning, but they have come back showing some damage but not enough to diagnose him with muscle antrophy. He seems brighter, hes alert and isnt flank watching anymore, but I know hes not right, and I wonder how much is the painkillers and how much is whatever it is getting better.

Ive been out to him just, and I feel sick. Hes OK, but I dread going out in the morning and seeing whats there. After everything I cant believe the bastard horse might die on me!

Oh no! I really hope he's ok. Crossing everything for him!

Oh Magic, I have been watching your other thread, and am gutted for you! Everything here is crossed for The Horse as well.

how awful - i hope he is doing better in the morning.

Fingers & hooves crossed! I once lost 2 young horses to grass sickness within 4 days of eachother and it wasn't like this - and hopefully it's the wrong time of year too.

how is he today magic?

Any news Magic? It's awful when you know they're not right, but when you don't know what it is. Praying for some good progress from him today.

just seeing if there is any news x still crossing everything

Poor thing I remember your other thread, hope he pulls through.

Oh Magic how awful for you after all that you've been through. I'm taking your "radio silence" as not a good omen. Poor horse, perhaps that was why he got dumped with you in the first place? I wish you all the very best xxx

Sorry everyone. Todays just been shit.

Hes not good, but vet is apparently limited in what he can do without referring The Horse to the equine hospital, however he is also loathe to do that given how unsteady The Horse is and there is lots of concern about how he would travel.

Currently his symptoms are:
- colic - well hes watching his flanks indicating stomach pains - however his guts are still turning over, so its not surgial colic thank goodness.
- inability to use his back legs - his back legs are very unsteady and every step he takes hes very wobbly but does eventually stabilise.
- tremors - you can see him shaking as hes standing up.
- elevated heart rate - its 56 which is high but not massively so.

However on the plus
Hes still with us
Hes alert and responsive
He fought like a demon when the vet tried to insert a tube up his nose so hes feeling frisky!

Vets taken another set of bloods this evening, and will do further tests and let me know. Currently all we seem to be doing is drugging him with pain killers and just seeing how he goes. Hes not been allowed to eat since yesterday morning, so hes miserable as hell. Vets allowed him to have a very small quantity of soaked hay tonight because the little beggar has started eating his bedding, but hes obviously not happy with him eating. Hes been given a strong dose of injected painkillers, and vet will be back tomorrow to see how hes doing, but vet has said today that really by tomorrow morning it will hae been 48 hours and if there is no improvement we might have to consider letting him go.

Poor baby. Could he have damaged his back?

just as he landed on his hooves as well, i really do hope he pulls through. poor boy.
and poor you. what a roller coaster youve had with him magic

Could he possibly have eaten something poisonous? There is a load of stuff on our vet's website. I've only skimmed it because it appears to have been written by someone who doesn't believe in punctuation but I saw muscle tremors and elevated heartrate mentioned among other things. I just wondered because his symptoms seemed to come on quite suddenly didn't they.