That would be Cowboy, the luckiest horse on the planet right now. The vet was out on Friday to take a look at Cowboy's head wound because it wasn't healing as well as I would like and a horrible smell had developed that no amount of cleaning, water, betadine, or anticeptic cream could remedy.
The first vet, because my vet practice has five or six vets, came out, sedated Cowboy (had to hit him twice), cleaned the wound and told us she could feel what seemed like an abrasion or a crack on Cowboy's skull (que up the hysterical panic!) We decided to do the Xrays on Monday since Dr. Collins (Friday's vet didn't have the xray equipment with her) and I needed to get the other two horses their semi-annual visit.
Dr. Gus came out Monday and I was actually home (Friday Superhubs had to take point and he does not deal well with animal wounds, but I think Dr. Collin's petite, blonde cutenss distracted him that time.) In fact I was just about clean Cowboy's head when the vet rolled up. I had finally developed a system where Cowboy was not exactly happy about me fooling with his wound but at least more cooperative. A spray bottle full of hot water, a wash cloth, medical gloves, and the cream Dr. Collins left. After squirting Cowboy in the face a few times he would resign himself and let me clean the wound without much fuss. Which was a relief because previous to that Superhubs would have to try and hold him while I attempted to clean the wound with Cowboy thrashing around.
Dr. Gus, with me acting as his assistant did a few xrays after hitting Cowboy with, again, two rounds of sedation. There was indeed a fracture. Which proved my theory that Fox must of caught Cowboy in the head with a hoof. We don't know yet what will happen. The vets want to wait a week to see how the healing progresses before we move forward.
Here is where Cowboy is lucky, although I'm sure with all the sedation, poking, prodding, and cleaning, he doesn't think so, his fracture is right over his brain. If he had been a hair slower to move out of the way I would have been making the worst phone call of my life. Superhubs was a Marine, he's seen things I don't ever want to see. I've seen him cry a total of three times in our 17 years of marriage. If I had to call him and tell him that his precious Spotted Beast was dead I don't know if either one of us would recover. I knew a horse that had this exact thing happen to him, a hoof directly to the middle of the forehead. He died instantly. I don't know if the waiting is worse than the instant death. Because the waiting is all wrapped up in worry, anxiety and what if. Where as the instant death is painful, but there is no room for hope to cut you deeper.
We are not out of the woods yet. The Dr. Gus is due back next Monday for a recheck to decide if Cowboy needs a field trip to the vet clinic for a better look at his head, or if he's healing and we can just hope that his brain stays where it should, and the bone doesn't die. I don't know what the prognossis is if the bone dies, I hate to even speculate, but the worry, the anxiety that we might lose Cowboy is right there digging a hole in my heart. So cross your fingers everyone and keep it between the flags.
The first vet, because my vet practice has five or six vets, came out, sedated Cowboy (had to hit him twice), cleaned the wound and told us she could feel what seemed like an abrasion or a crack on Cowboy's skull (que up the hysterical panic!) We decided to do the Xrays on Monday since Dr. Collins (Friday's vet didn't have the xray equipment with her) and I needed to get the other two horses their semi-annual visit.
Dr. Gus came out Monday and I was actually home (Friday Superhubs had to take point and he does not deal well with animal wounds, but I think Dr. Collin's petite, blonde cutenss distracted him that time.) In fact I was just about clean Cowboy's head when the vet rolled up. I had finally developed a system where Cowboy was not exactly happy about me fooling with his wound but at least more cooperative. A spray bottle full of hot water, a wash cloth, medical gloves, and the cream Dr. Collins left. After squirting Cowboy in the face a few times he would resign himself and let me clean the wound without much fuss. Which was a relief because previous to that Superhubs would have to try and hold him while I attempted to clean the wound with Cowboy thrashing around.
Dr. Gus, with me acting as his assistant did a few xrays after hitting Cowboy with, again, two rounds of sedation. There was indeed a fracture. Which proved my theory that Fox must of caught Cowboy in the head with a hoof. We don't know yet what will happen. The vets want to wait a week to see how the healing progresses before we move forward.
Here is where Cowboy is lucky, although I'm sure with all the sedation, poking, prodding, and cleaning, he doesn't think so, his fracture is right over his brain. If he had been a hair slower to move out of the way I would have been making the worst phone call of my life. Superhubs was a Marine, he's seen things I don't ever want to see. I've seen him cry a total of three times in our 17 years of marriage. If I had to call him and tell him that his precious Spotted Beast was dead I don't know if either one of us would recover. I knew a horse that had this exact thing happen to him, a hoof directly to the middle of the forehead. He died instantly. I don't know if the waiting is worse than the instant death. Because the waiting is all wrapped up in worry, anxiety and what if. Where as the instant death is painful, but there is no room for hope to cut you deeper.
We are not out of the woods yet. The Dr. Gus is due back next Monday for a recheck to decide if Cowboy needs a field trip to the vet clinic for a better look at his head, or if he's healing and we can just hope that his brain stays where it should, and the bone doesn't die. I don't know what the prognossis is if the bone dies, I hate to even speculate, but the worry, the anxiety that we might lose Cowboy is right there digging a hole in my heart. So cross your fingers everyone and keep it between the flags.
Thank goodness you didn't have to make that call. My last horse Jet actually nailed another horse in the head in a similar manner and caved his skull in. No death, but it did cause permanent retirement and blindness. No one told me Jet caused it until six years later (both horses had passed by then) but I still felt awful!
ReplyDeleteI hope everything turns out well!
Yikes! Hopefully everything heals up great!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for your boy!
ReplyDeleteJingles to you both!
ReplyDelete