Posted 2008-07-10 8:39 PM (#87247) Subject: discovered infection too late
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: washington
Now, this story is as I heard it, so there could be important parts missing, like if the vet was requested to come immediately or if it was not made clear they needed him immediately... I didn't have the heart to ask them after their horse died a painful death :(
My best friend had a nice registered buckskin Morgan who was just the sweetest guy. They bought a new horse and the buckskin chased after her for a week or so. Then he came up lame, so they assumed he'd been kicked. One day went by with no improvement so they called the vet. He came out and checked him over, but apparently didn't find anything alarming, and my friend's husband kept saying he'll be okay, he probably just got kicked. Well, next morning the horse was down and could barely get up. His sheath area was the size of a cantalope, and he was going downhill fast. They called the vet again. He came out hours later and went pale when he saw the horse and his condition... he told them he thought the horse had clostridia... he was purple around his gums, high temp, critically ill. This horse had never been a good loader and they had to get him into the trailer to the hospital immediately! It took an hour to load him, which probably contributed to his rapid deterioration. By the time they got him there, he could barely stand. They got him on massive antibiotics, IV fluids, you name it they had it in him. He crashed 3 hours later and that was it. They had to put him down. I'd never heard of clostridia but it is the family of bacteria that causes botulism, tetanus, gangrene, and probably a few others. Chico had the gangrene kind. He must have gotten kicked in the gut or a small cut or punture that the bacteria entered through. I think the bacteria is in their intentinal tract and they normally poop it out, but if it gets in through a punture or cut, or tear in the colon, they are in big trouble. My friend is so sad that the horse suffered; they didn't realize how sick he was until the second vet visit. The vet had cut the sheath to relieve the pressure (size of a soccerball!) and then when they got the blood results back, they told my friend to keep all the animals away from that and wash it down with bleach and hot water... she was so freaked out because they have dogs that had been out there. Also they had to clean their pasture up of all poop piles and wait and see if the other aanimals would be okay. Such a tragedy and they are riddled with guilt now.
*
Posted 2008-07-10 9:23 PM (#87249 - in reply to #87247) Subject: RE: discovered infection too late
Veteran
Posts: 294 Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Cowgirl, I doubt you could find anyone on this forum that would have done anything different than your friends did. Sometimes things just happen. You can't start a horse on antibiotics just for being lame, if so, most of us would have a horse on them! The only thing they might have done differently (and I don't know the whole story) is to introduce the horses a little slower if possible, to eliminate all the chasing. But even so it sounds like it was just a freak accident that could happen to anyone, anytime.
Posted 2008-07-11 1:58 PM (#87297 - in reply to #87247) Subject: RE: discovered infection too late
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 362 Location: Allegan, Michigan
I agree w NFT, that accidents happen and nothing we can do to prevent them short of isolating them and putting them in padded stalls, even then they would find "something" to get hurt on. Just being the good friend that you are has helped this person. Trust me. We all have beat ourselves up at one time or another doing the "coulda, woulda, shoulda" thing. But horses can not verbally tell us what is wrong and we have to go by the clues they give us. Sometimes the clues they emit don't coincide with how we intrepret them.
I firmly believe the horse knew they were doing the best by him and he is definitely at peace. God bless you for being their friend, you definitely care and that is obvious. Thank you for sharing with us.
Posted 2008-07-11 9:49 PM (#87326 - in reply to #87247) Subject: RE: discovered infection too late
Veteran
Posts: 192 Location: Hutto, TX
Here is some info from the Merck vet manual. Sounds a bit different and even that antibiotics can be a factor. . . Maybe it's just a coincidence that the horse got so ill right after another animal was added to the pasture and then there is even less reason for your friends to be feeling guilty.
Posted 2008-07-23 11:48 PM (#88158 - in reply to #87326) Subject: RE: discovered infection too late
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: washington
Thanks for all the kind words and understanding. They are still feeling the trauma of losing their beloved friend. My friend's husband does not want to get another horse and now thinks they are a waste of time and money (it was his horse that died) so it's his way of coping with the loss I guess. so sad.
discovered infection too late
