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  Discussion on Sick Little Gelding.
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Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2000 - 1:11 pm:

Dr. O and all,
What is the recovery process?
Background:
We bought an 18 mo old Arab gelding two years ago. He was very small (13.2 hh) because his dam was very ill when she was carrying him, almost had to be put down. Well, he has been healthy until this summer when we put him under saddle. First, (even though we used natural horsemanship starting techniques done at a Ray Hunt clinic) was a back problem resulting in a "hunter's bump," then a few weeks later he developed a cough, ran fever spikes, and had to be trailered to the vet in the middle of the night. He has been simi-diagnosed as Pneumonia. I say simi- because he is too sick to move to a better equipped facility, so much of the diagnosis is a consultation process with two very good Vet clinics. We were there last weekend for the tracheascope and globs of green stuff showed up the full length of the trachea. The vet also did an ultrasound on the lungs looking for fluid. No real way from that to tell if there is an absess or not. There was no evident fluid, but there were streaks from the lung lining indicating inflamation.

Today: (a week since our late evening trailer ride)
The vet switched from tetracyclene to a different and stronger antibiotic (can't remember the name, but started with an M and isn't recognizeable in your list). This seems to have turned things around somewhat. He is eating better, appears more alert but still depressed, but he still has a bad cough bring up yucky fluid. Hopefully, we got him help rather early in the process, but he is still a sick little boy.

My wife read your articles this morning and was in tears by the time she finished them. I think she is more depressed than the gelding.

I know this is difficult without a hands on examination, but assuming he turns the corner, what can we expect:
• We are in North Alabama, how should we protect him with winter coming? (e.g. sheets at night, keep in during wet weather, kick our son out and put him in the basement, kick me out and put him in the master suite with her, etc.)
• When he is up to it, what types of exercise should we begin with him? (e.g. walks, free lounging, limited riding, no exercise)
• Based on previous cases what types of long term impairment should we expect?
• What signs should we watch for if he is feeling stressed? Since they can only communicate by action, it is hard to know when he is reaching a critical point, or he is just being a horse and wanting to run the show.

I know these are tough questions and no pat answers exist. Feel free to beg off on any or all comments if you feel the answer would be a shot in the dark or so general it is meaningless.
A worried owner

Posted on Thursday, Nov 2, 2000 - 7:26 am:

I think a dry stall with fresh air would be fine. Pasture rest should be a good start. Not knowing what is going on I cannot answer what type long term impairment might occur. Your post suggests that you have a bacterial pneumonia, so if you find the right antibiotic I don't know why he might not recover completely. Watch the respiratory rate and character: it is the best indicator of severity of impairment.
DrO

Posted on Monday, Nov 6, 2000 - 12:07 pm:

Dr. O
Thanks for the encouragement on his future use.

Just an update and correction of a "senior moment."

Senior moment first, the antibiotic he switched to was Bayettril (sp). He responded well to it, and has been withdrawn without any relapsing.

We brought him home yesterday with a cardboard box (read $$$) full of medicine. Turned him out for a couple of hours with his pasturemates. He had been gone for a week and a half and they were a little hard on him until the Alpha mare said, "enough!"

Have had 6 weeks of no rain, so what happens when he comes back, an all day soaker and DrOp in temps. Guess we should be thankful for the rain and that he is back. Will be keeping close check on his temp for a couple of weeks. Also, he will be up on rainey days and using a light blanket or sheet until he gets back on his hoofs.
John Bowman
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