Okay, suspected culprit is some type of infection brewing, indicated by an elevated white blood cell count. He is on antibiotics, like a naxcel injection but he doesn't need the second dose injected until Monday. I have some gatrogaurd as a precaution as well some sucralfate to be started tomorrow, granted he does well through the night and isn't throwing himself to the ground, have zero gut sounds or has taken some horrible turn for the worst.
I opened the stall door this AM and just knew as soon as I opened the door. He didn't attack his hay (alfalfa and part of a flake of timothy) he didn't show much interest in hand grazing, had very little gut sounds, had his lip curled once or twice, no fever this morning, but had a 101.3 temp when we went to the vet. Many of us know how it is, we just know when they are off, if we had less interaction or less experience we might not quite get how serious it can become. Our mind goes a mile a minute, "he was wormed yesterday,...... was it a parasite overload, maybe he ate too much hay and not enough water.....but alfalfa is a laxative and he had 5 piles in his stall this AM as well as three more when hand walking him...... am I giving him too much grain..... the wrong kind, .......he has been here 12 days, perfect timeframe to have caught a bug and have it begin to rear its head......"
we suddenly second guess all of our carefully planned, diligently followed courses of action for our new arrivals.
After carefully reviewing everything with the vet, she said all diet choices were well planed and were very good choices, fecal exam sorted out that it was not a parasite overload, possible ulcer issue from the new home and environment, but most likely an infection brewing. He was given banamine (IV) sedated ,tubed, drained and oiled, given IV fluids, and antiobiotics. The Banamine was given at 1PM it is now 9:15 and he is alert, passed a little manure, has some gut sounds, but I was advised to see how he does over night and if all is good stat with some wet hay and hand grazing in the morning. Please keep the prayers coming, I will be sure to post an update tomorrow. Thanks Everyone!
