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Discussion on Head trauma
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New Member:
llancell
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Posted on Sunday, Mar 2, 2008 - 10:11 pm:
My 10 year old gelding ran into a tree today and knocked himself out. He was out for about 3 minutes and since has not gotten up..it has been about 4 hours...the vet came and said his eye that does not have a catarct was unresponsive and his temperature was a little low...she gave him banamine and he still has not gotten up. We are trying to keep him comfortable but he does not seem to be able to gather his rear legs to get up...Any advice???? I am heartbroken.
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Member:
jowidner
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Posted on Sunday, Mar 2, 2008 - 11:34 pm:
Linda,
No advice, just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear of your horse's accident. I know it will be a long night for you. Hope the morning brings improvement. Please let us know. My thoughts are with you.
Jo Ann
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Sunday, Mar 2, 2008 - 11:34 pm:
Oh, how awful, Linda. I'm so sorry! How did he happen to run into a tree? Just running around "wild" with his buddies and not paying attention to where he was going?
Did the vet do any type of neurological exam, or did he/she give any kind of prognosis or reason why he can't get up? Or did the vet seem to feel it would take time? Has there been any bleeding from his head anywhere? Any swelling? Is he trying to get up or is the vet giving him anything to try and keep him calm? How are his other vital signs? Are you continuing to monitor them? With any serious injury I always worry about shock. Are there any other signs of injury?
Do you have a cover over him to keep him warm? That might help keep him comfortable.
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Member:
eoeo
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 12:00 am:
When our yearling colt had his accident, the vet gave him Dex and DMSO intravenous. That might not hurt with your boy if he hasn't gotten up yet. It is best to do it right away but I can't imagine that it would hurt to give it to him even now. Within a few hours after receiving treatment, the colt got to his feet. He is improving slowly every day. If he knocked himself out it is a pretty good bet he has a concussion. EO
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 6:33 am:
Welcome Linda,
Sorry to meet you over such a terrible event. I agree with the above: there is a lot more information that could be garnered about this case and more therapy that is logical.
A determination of whether the reason the horse does not stand is because of brain disease, spinal cord disease, or possible fracture(s) of the legs needs to be determined. Yes, the lack of pupillary response in the eye and the unconsciousness suggests brain trauma but does not rule out the other possibilities. A very important questions is are there fractures to the skull or spinal cord? Determining the degree of neurological deficit might help with monitoring progress.
Trauma to the skull with signs of damage to the brain should receive anti-inflammatory dosages of corticosteroids. I am not a IV DMSO proponent but it is considered pretty standard for head trauma victims. If the horse remains down and there are no contraindications and there is some hope you might consider slinging the horse up using one of the commercial horse slings.
DrO
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 7:09 am:
Linda, so very sorry to hear of your horse's accident. I hope he has improved this morning and makes a full recovery.
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Member:
lilo
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 9:44 am:
Linda - so sorry about your gelding's accident. Hoping that he will come around and be fine.
Good luck,
Lilo
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New Member:
llancell
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 10:07 am:
I am very glad for your responses.....He made it thru the night...it was tough but he is a fighter and appears to continue trying to get up. He is blind in one eye and one of my other horses got him excited at dinner time and he must have turned quickly and went head first into a tree that knocked him out. There is no bleeding from anywhere else on his head except to the injury around the eye...he has feeling in his rear legs and he had a healthy bowl movement throughout the nite...he looks very worn out this morning but he is still fighting to get up...the vet is on the way and going to give him IV fluids, dex,banamine and mannitol....maybe DMSO, I am not sure. We are taking turns sitting with him but at the sounds of our voices, he really fights to get up. I think he deserves a chance at treatments...he is such a fighter....Thank you for your thought and please keep the prayers coming.
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 11:19 am:
Hang in there, Linda. I agree, he needs a chance. Let us know what the vet thinks and keep us posted.
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Member:
frances
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 1:09 pm:
Good luck, Linda. I really hope he pulls through. Thinking of you.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 1:28 pm:
Linda prayers are with your horse. I hope he comes through this OK. It's hard on the person watching him too, so take care of yourself also.
Good Luck
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Member:
maximum
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 3:38 pm:
Good Luck Linda and prayers being said!!
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Member:
pbauer
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 6:08 pm:
Dear Linda,
I just read your post, you undoubtedly have a lot of love for your boy. I promise to pray for all of you.
Most Sincerely,
Tonya
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New Member:
llancell
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 7:21 pm:
I want to thank you all for your prayers and help...he passed away this evening at 5 PM....24 hours after the accident.....We tried and so did he..he had a lot of heart. His injuries must have been much more severe than we thought. When we rolled him to this other side, his eye and face were horribly swollen...his eye had turned blue and he he was blind in that eye also. He is at peace now and Im sure running in some pasture where he can see all the trees. I love that horse very much. His name is John Ruby and he will be with us forever. Thank you again.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 7:33 pm:
SO very sorry Linda, my condolences. Sounds like he was a wonderful horse. God Speed John Ruby
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Member:
jowidner
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 7:49 pm:
Dear Linda,
I am so sorry to hear your sad news. I cried when I read your post. Blessings to you for your efforts to save him, for you as you grieve his loss, and for John Ruby as he joins the herd in the sky.
Jo Ann
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Member:
pbauer
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 8:21 pm:
Dear Linda,
I was broken-hearted after reading your post. Please know that my heart and prayers go out to you, and your family members.
John Ruby is at peace now...running with his herd.
Most Sincerely,
Tonya
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Member:
ekaufman
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 8:26 pm:
Very sorry to hear of his passing and your loss Linda. He's in good company with many other good horses on the other side.
- Elizabeth
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 9:19 pm:
Linda, I'm so sorry about John Ruby. What breed was he? His name makes me think of another great horse that died not too long ago, the famous race horse John Henry.
John Ruby is in very good company; quite a few of us have lost horses within recent memory. My good friend and wonderful ex-show and ex-endurance horse, Maarissa Rose died just a few weeks ago. All we can do is our best, and it sounds like that's what you did.
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Member:
mysi
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 9:38 pm:
Linda, so sorry for your loss. my heart broke reading your posts. you did all you could.
Melissa
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Member:
shirl
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Posted on Monday, Mar 3, 2008 - 11:05 pm:
Linda,
My sincere condolences on your loss. It's a heavy burden to bear as I know so well. Prayers go out to you and your family. Remember the happy times with your beloved horse.
Hugs,
Shirl
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 4, 2008 - 7:18 am:
Linda,
I'm so very sorry to hear of the loss of John Ruby. I hope you can find some peace knowing you did your best.
Fran
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 4, 2008 - 7:36 am:
My condolences Linda. This is not a surprise, the horses I have seen with such severe head trauma that they were unable to rise did not do well despite very intensive therapy. Even some that rise, but blinded by the event, developed uncontrollable brain swelling and seizures within a few days others remained permanently blind.
DrO
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 4, 2008 - 8:48 am:
Linda I am so sorry to hear your horse passed away. I hope the fact that he is in very good company and in no pain or anguish helps you come to terms with your loss
Jos
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Member:
corinne
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 4, 2008 - 9:16 am:
Linda,
We are on our three week vacation and the internet at the ski chalet is sketchy but I ready your post and had been praying for John Ruby. I would like to extend my thoughts and prayers as well. It takes a strong spirit to try to heal through tragedy and I am sure you will with time, just don't forget to lean on us as you need. Someone is always here 24 hours a day through the world. God Bless and may John Henry run fast and free in Heaven.
Corinne
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Member:
cpacer
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 4, 2008 - 3:42 pm:
So sorry to hear you lost your John Ruby. I'm sure the comfort you gave in the final hours assured him it was ok to let go.
I hope you'll stick around HA and get to know everyone. I think all the horses with memorials on this site play together in heaven.
Would love to see a picture of John Ruby if you feel up to it.
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Member:
lilo
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 4, 2008 - 7:31 pm:
Linda - I want to add my condolences. So sorry you lost a wonderful horse. Remember the good times with John Ruby.
Lilo
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Member:
frances
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 5, 2008 - 8:19 am:
What a shame, Linda. I'm so sorry that you lost John Ruby.
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New Member:
llancell
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 5, 2008 - 10:28 am:
Thank you again for all your support...he was a Quarter Horse...I know someone asked me that.
I would love to keep on HA but I am not sure how to navigate around other discussions??? Maybe you could tell me where to go to see other discussions...what would I look for?? Todays discussions show an awful lot of different categories...help!
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Member:
jowidner
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 5, 2008 - 11:54 am:
Hi Linda,
Nice to hear from you. As you can tell from the posts, many people have been thinking of you and your loss of John Ruby and sending support.
After you log in go to the main page and look at the menu on the left hand side of the screen. Click on "Help and Information" and then on "How do I find information on Horseadvice.com" Or you can just keep searching around and you'll get the hang of it. The site is a treasure trove of information, advice, discussions, and support. While I have been a member for some time, I just recently began posting and its been a great experience.
Welcome and please continue to let us know how you are doing.
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Member:
lhenning
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Posted on Monday, Mar 10, 2008 - 10:12 am:
Linda,
I also want to express my condolences. When one of us loses a horse, we all feel it. I hope it helps you heal to know you are not alone.
Each of the topics on the left side of the page are links to articles and at the bottom of the article is a discussion area for that topic. You can spend hours reading on a wide variety of subjects. Sometimes we just chat and keep each other posted on our daily events in the Members Lounge. What you won't find are pop-ups, advertising, or people that are not sincerely interested in horses. Welcome to HA.
Linda
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Member:
erika
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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 - 10:30 am:
Linda, I just came across this thread today. As you may know, I just lost a horse last week, Timmy.
Although the circumstances were very different, the sadness and shock are similar, aren't they? It sounds like you gave John Ruby every chance at recovery. Bless you for trying.
I hope he and my Timmy are having a great time in the heavenly pastures.
Erika
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008 - 6:49 am:
I am deeply sorry to hear of your loss, Linda.
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Member:
vickij1
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008 - 5:27 pm:
I just read your post and am heartbroken for you. I know well the trauma of losing a horse under difficult circumstances.
God Bless you and your boy.
Vicki
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Member:
muffi
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Posted on Tuesday, Jun 17, 2008 - 3:01 am:
WOW I just read this. Sorry Linda -
It made me cry - I know I would be devistated if it were to happen to me.
Bless you - do you have other horses? not that it would make it any better. sounds like he was very special.
hope the memory of the good lingers and not the horror of the final event.
Take care and welcome to HA -
did you ever find out how to navigate well enough? :o)
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