Our Mini is in the Hospital

[JewelsOK]

The vet just call and Image is doing great. Temp normal, manure normal, he is munching hay and trotting around in his stall. The said they did hear possibly some hyper motility gut sound which they said could be a precursor to diarrhea (but if his manure is improving how could that be? Strange, but it is almost as if they want him to have diarrhea so they can be right, ugh!). They said they would do another ultra-sound in the morning to see if it still showed inflammation in his intestines and depending on that and the findings of the stool culture, he might get to come home after that (Monday or Tuesday).

Keep the prayers coming, they are working!!

 

[Charlotte]

Julie, thank goodness you got on top of this quickly and he is improving. You might want to talk with Becky (Redrock) as she jsut had a similar case in Cammie's retired show gelding....not salmonella though but intesto=nal and same symptoms. The vets at Oakridge made suggestions about how to 'clean' the outside areas.

It sounds like you're being diligent with the human side and I bet that goes well with no spread.

Charlotte

 

[shelly]

Lots of prayers & Good luck with your mini and your kiddos too!

 

[JewelsOK]

If you are not tired of updates - Image is improving!! His fever has never returned and he is not on any meds. his stool is normal and his hyper gut sounds are quieting a bit (a good thing). He is becoming his talkative, playful little self. She said he is a little sweetie. We just might get to bring him home tomorrow. He might not like that though as he is in air conditioning now and it is supposed to be 100 here this week, ugh!

I just can't wait to get my baby back. I miss him!!!!

Thanks for all the prayers!!!

 

[BAER CREEK]

So glad to hear he is better. I hope he continues to improve and come home! Keep posting.

Julie

 

[Joanne]

Hi Julie,

Can you give us a background on Image? How old is he? Was this a sudden event?

It could help others if we understood what happened and what the veterinarians find out.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[JewelsOK]

Hi Julie,

Can you give us a background on Image? How old is he? Was this a sudden event?

It could help others if we understood what happened and what the veterinarians find out.

Thank you for sharing.

Image has just turned one this week (I hope it wasn't the little piece of carrot cake we gave him to celebrate that made him sick). We went out around 10:00 in the morning to play with him while my daughter rode her horse. As soon as I saw Image I knew something was wrong. I thought he was just too hot from the sun - his turnout doesn't really get shade until 11:30 or so. He was breathing really fast and shallow. When I opened his gate to halter him I saw two piles of semi-formed stool - not quite cow patty, but not his normal formed manure. I also saw that he had left behind some of his breakfast.

I brought him into the barn and put him by a fan and took his temperature - it was 106.1 I was shocked. I just had been taught that anything over 103 needs a vet. We offered him some water and he drank, he was interested on some of the hay that had spilled near by. He didn't seem to be real dehydrated (pinched the skin on his neck). He was not trying to go down or roll, not pawing or acting like his tummy was bothering him, although in hindsight, we did see him roll the day before and even watched him for a little bit because I was worried that something might be wrong. I even came back and checked on him again 30 minutes later "just in case" and he seemed fine, now I wonder....

Barn owner said he was his perky self waiting for breakfast that morning and that he had eaten all of his dinner from the night before and he dove right in on his breakfast, but left about 20% of it behind.

That's about all I can think of detail wise. He is current on vaccines, dewormed the first of this month with Ivermectin Gold.

I'm still waiting on today's report. The stool culture should be in anytime now to find out if it is something bacterial.

I'll be happy to answer any questions.

 

[barnbum]

Wonderful!!

 

[JewelsOK]

Just got the call from the vet to come get my little guy. Ultra Sound showed all inflammation has cleared up, blood work returned to normal. They did a fecal and it showed he does have pin worms (IICCCKKKK!!) - I just dewormed him the first week in July with Ivermectin Gold. Vet said wait a week and do it again. They don't think it's the worms - just that they happen to be there (again, IICCCCKKKKKK).

The culture has not returned yet, but the feel it is okay for him to come home since he has his own private turnout and stall - we'll just be very hygienic in how we do things.

I'm so excited!!!!

Do you think I should bathe him to get all the icky hospital germs off of him, or would that be too stressful for him? He is not a huge fan of baths, LOL!

Thanks again for all the prayers. I'll let you all know when the culture returns!!