Last Evening's Adventure

[gcreekrch]

Neighbor called last night, a good mare had run through an open unfinished gate and hit her shoulder on a hinge that stuck out from the post. Doc and Nurse Gcreek went down and did a stitch job. Banamine, froze the damaged area, flushed it all out, and used about eight feet of catgut to put things back together. We'll see if the stitches hold, it looked OK when we left.

[Big Muddy rancher]

[gcreekrch]

[Justin]

[leanin' H]

So many things I'd like to say here!!!! So many things I'd better not say right here!!!!!! Hope the Mare heals up quick!

[Faster horses]

Thank you for your self-discipline, H.

[leanin' H]

When I get some of that, I'll sure let you know!

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Sorry to hear bout your mare.....get ya some Underwoods horse medicine.....it's good stuff...will heal that right up.

As for the other deal......I'm keepin my mouth shut

[gcreekrch]

My patient was dead this morning. Going down tommorow to do a PM on her. The wound was not that deep and she didn't lose a lot of blood. maybe the pain was too much? Colic? Will find out. I do know she would have been dead from the trip to the vet if they would have hauled her 220 miles one way. I don't charge anything for my inept services so they aren't out that also.

[Faster horses]

Could have been from shock, gcreek. Some of those horses just
can't take much trauma.

At least you tried.

We had a great old horse break his jaw--I watched and saw he couldn't eat, so we ran him to town to the vet who x-rayed him and saw it was broken completely through. He got on the phone and called Dr. Ismay at Sturgis and we loaded him up and got him down there. When we unloaded him, Dr. Ismay said he was going into shock and was very concerned. He had never met us before and even though his son was getting married the next day, Dr. Ismay and his wife stayed up all night with our horse. They brought him through it, and we were forever grateful.
So, that's how I know a horse can die from shock. Luckily, ours didn't, but it was a real possibility.

P.S. I just found this:

How to deal with equine shock

Christine Keate

Practical advice from Horse & Hound on recognising the signs of shock and how to treat this potentially fatal condition

Shock in horses is extremely serious and is commonly associated with trauma, pain and infection, as well as major fluid loss.

When a horse goes into shock, the body's response includes shutting down the circulatory system, depriving the body of oxygen and leading to major organ failure, and ultimately, death.


Any injury associated with great fear is likely to trigger the condition, as well as blood loss, dehydration and a serious colic or infection, which overwhelms the body with a flood of toxins.


Vet Karen Coumbe, of Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Kent, says: "Severe dehydration is relatively rare in this country. Shock is most frequently a killer in relation to colic, as a result of pain, stress and bacterial leakage from a twisted gut."


Symptoms to look out for include:



Rapid breathing

Shaking and shivering

A weak pulse

Pale or blue mucous membranes

Extremities feel cold (eg: ears)

Treating shock


If you suspect your horse is suffering from shock, seek urgent veterinary help. Any obvious wounds or injuries should be treated appropriately, while keeping the horse calm.


If the horse is showing signs of cold, keep him warm in a stable with rugs, but make sure he doesn't become overheated.


Ensure there is an adequate supply of fresh, clean water and encourage the horse to drink, if possible, as dehydration is a common cause.


The vet will need to establish the cause quickly and take appropriate action to treat the condition. Serious infections will need antibiotics and possibly other drugs, while any source of bleeding will need to be found and stopped.


Treatment for the condition of shock will normally include the administration of fluids, and if the horse is unable to drink, he will need hospitalisation in order to administer these intravenously in sufficiently large quantities (40-80 litres per day).



This article was originally published in Horse & Hound.





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[gcreekrch]

I believe you are right about the shock FH. Other than blanket and spend the night in the barn, (which WOULD have cost the neighbor big money) we did what we were capable of. Talked with our vet this morning and he was satisfied we did all we could with what we had.
Some animals, including the human kind, just can't handle much pain.

[OldDog/NewTricks]

I have used Dexamethasone (gives a sience of well being) to Horses. Keep warm