Midnite Hour

Not Riva - but this is how she looked last night

 

Riva had her first ever Colic episode yesterday evening.  We have dealt with Colic many times over the years with Cheers, our OTTB.  The first place we boarded him, we would frequently get calls to come to the barn and would spend hours walking him until the pain would pass (along with large amounts of poo).

 

Riva's back right - has the most fungus

First off, Riva has been kept inside the past few days due to a severe case of scratches/mud fever/dew poisoning (ie fungus) on the white parts of her legs and neck.  Our weather has been so rainy that even with our well drained pastures, there is lots of mud and very wet grass.  Riva started with just a bit of fungus on her back heel bulbs one night and by the next night, full blown up her legs.  We started treating her with AG Silver wash and powder and keeping her inside - with indoor arena turn out.

 

Of course, Riva has not been happy with this arrangement of not going out with her mare buddies.  I still rode every night - fortunately, no lameness with the fungus.  On Tuesday night, we switched to a new treatment for her legs and neck - Tomorrow Dry Cow which is actually a treatment for mastitis on the advice of several boarders at our barn who have had success with this product.

 

Last night, I arrived to a kinda sleepy looking Riva.  Her legs already looked better, she had eaten her dinner, but had lots of alfalfa hay left in her stall (which she was not eating- and she normally hovers this).  I got her tacked up and went out to ride.  I took her around the galloping track a few times to warm up and then schooled in the outdoor dressage arena.  She was her normal self - worked on transitions and halts, lots of canter circles and trot loops, even schooled a few walk to canter transitions which we have just started working on.

 

I walked her out around the galloping track and hopped off to walk her in.  When I went to run my stirrups up, I noticed she was heavily sweating - sweat was dripping off her belly and chest.  It was warm yesterday, but she is body clipped and I had thoroughly walked her out.  I took her inside and got a bucket of cool water and towel to sponge her down.  She started pawing and trying to turn in the crossties and just not looking right. Took her outside to hand walk and she laid down as soon as we reached the grass.  I yelled for one of the boarders to get our barn owner to draw up some Banamine for me - my horse rarely lays down (I have seen it exactly one time in 5 yrs, early one morning in her stall).  The BO's daughter took her temp - normal, listened for gut sounds - none, and gave her 12 cc's of Banamine and I proceeded to walk Riva.

After 20 minutes, she checked her again and Riva seemed a bit perkier with some gut sounds.  I kept walking and within 10 minutes, she laid down again.  After another half hour of walking, I tried putting her in her stall and she peed and pooped a normal looking pile.  But right after that, she started pawing and circling, looked distressed.  She would stop and stand with her back legs and front legs way under her body.  I put in a call to my vet. 

 

Within 10 minutes the vet called back.  After hearing the report, she asked if I could get her to the clinic.  I proceeded to cry and tell her my husband is in KY and I would see if BO could drive us.  My wonderful BO and her daughter dropped everything and transported Riva and myself to our vet.  During all this, I had called my husband - who called youngest daughter - so Lex met us at Dr. A's.  When we reached the vet office, Riva calmly walked off the slant load, step down trailer (she has only ever been on our ramp straight load trailer) and right in to the stocks to be examined.  Knew she  was distressed because normally she would take some coaxing for any of that!  Vet had the bucket of mineral oil waiting and the sleepy drugs ready to go.

 

After siphoning out lots of gas and liquid, Dr. A tubed her with mineral oil and gave her a shot to stop the stomach spasms and relieve the pain.  Riva must have started feeling better quick because she wanted to have a discussion about getting back on the trailer.  Lex convinced her she did want to get on that trailer - and back home we went.

Dr. A gave instructions to remove all food and hay for the night, just water and if she seemed normal in the morning,g to turn her out.  I coated her legs  down with the Dry Cow and stared at her for awhile.  She was searching her stall floor for hay scrapes and her eyes looked bright again by the time I left at midnite.

BO texted me this morning that Riva pooped before turn out this morning and was happily running about her pasture this morning with happy bucks thrown in.  I am longing to sit and just watch her all day - but have to work to pay off the vet bills!

Thankful today for my awesome BO and her daughter, who had spent the previous evening at Purdue Vet Hosp with one of their own horses, my sweet youngest daughter for meeting me at the vet office late last night, for my wonderful husband for talking to me on the phone all the way home last night to make sure I didn't fall asleep.   I am truly blessed!