Seedy (Toe) Disappointment

I've been looking forward to getting back on Oakley and working with our new coach.  I bought some shiny new spurs. Now he's lame. Time to hang them up already. Now THAT'S lame.

A few weeks ago he started to chip his hind feet. We had tried leaving him unshod, for Winston's safety.  I called the farrier right away, and told him I needed him to come out ASAP and put rear shoes on. He said he'd would check his schedule and call me the next day. He didn't. I've gotten push back from him before, and I guess I was too tired to get assertive with him again. All I get is some patronizing comments.  So I kept waiting and waiting...He would tell me a few cracks and chips aren't anything to worry about blah blah blah...I just didn't feel like hearing that. Not to mention dealing with new sheep arrivals and the loss of our guinea.  I'm not a frigging princess. I care for our animals and have high standards for their care, and I won't apologize to anyone for that. But it's always a bit of a dance with this farrier...

Friday:
 

After my TRC shift, meeting G at Foxy Falafel for a lunch date, and heading to chiro I finally got home, and G told me Oak was a little off, and was walking funny. 

He didn't want to walk much, I had to pull him. Later he'd even hold up his foot, and for our stoic boy that just isn't right.  He was a little puffy over his pastern (RH) but I know he's a little sensitive in his stifle as well and after his jumping history a stifle injury wouldn't be out of the question. I hosed down his pastern and put some liniment on it.  This after checking that he didn't have any foreign bodies or obvious sore spots on his sole.  I called the vet and left a message, hoping someone could come out first thing the next day. I gave him 2 grams of phenylbutazone and we went inside.

Glenn made awesome zucchini madness for dinner, we talked and listened to a Chicken Thistle Farm "coop cast" and then some music while it bubbled. Tried to stay distracted and positive since G had been away all week.  I was so hungry after such a long day, but I couldn't go and sit down to eat and watch a movie until I checked on the bear.  I went out and he was calm, and his coat was nice and cool---he was watching the dark fields with his ears up, calm and attentive, and the stars were so bright it made me feel a little better about the whole rotten situation...
 

 



I dreamed about Oak and the chickens through most of the night it seemed. 

 

Saturday morning Dr. Ed called me and I gave him the history, and he knows Oak well enough to know if he's favouring, he must be sore, not that he'd ever doubt my assessment, unlike other people. I don't claim to know everything about our beasts but I know when something isn't right, and isn't a "wait and see" (most things aren't : P  --especially with horses..)

 

Long story short(ish)--he used his hoof testers and got a positive response forward on the toe (right hind foot) and then cut some hoof wall and sole away to find a tiny black line traversing the white line. That was the problem.  One of the chips in his hoof wall had allowed some infection in. I was mad at myself, mad at my farrier, but sooo grateful it wasn't a soft tissue injury. (He does tend to gallop around and chase Winston, so I was worried he might have sprained something during one of his dragon tantrums).



 So Ed said Oak will likely get worse before he gets better, which will be tough to watch.  We are finally getting his paddock filled with nice soft sand after having to wait for several months due to road restrictions and the summer getting away from us....That will help, and especially if he needs to lay down once in a while...We have to soak his foot in Epsom salts 20 min twice a day, then apply the animalintex poultice.  Oak is so good about it, but my current challenges with this therapy are: my back is in bad shape right now, it's tough to find supplies/equipment that even fit Oakley, then there's the "Oak proofing" that needs to be done.  I joked with G that we should design a line of horse supplies and call them "Oak Proof" --tried and tested by an equine bear dragon.  The hoof wraps I bought last year are a little flimsy, difficult to attach, despite Oak's patience, and he ripped one yesterday and we aren't even halfway through his therapy.







The soak 'n bribe.  Using my handy dandy dry bag and a polo wrap.

 

 

 It's amazing how much duct tape you need to take care of one big horse...



                                                He's like an Imperial Walker....
 

Ed doesn't like stall rest for these ailments, as he believes that the horse needs to move around and put some pressure on the foot to help work the eventual pus out. Yes, there will likely be pus.  These things normally erupt up at the coronet band, which seems bizarre. So I'm watching for that, and hoping, although by that point he will be in a lot of pain and there is the slight chance that he will be too cranky (and dangerous to handle) and I won't be able to get his treatments done without getting some sedation on board. But it's wait and see...The dose of bute he's on seems high, but Ed assured me it's extremely important to keep him on it, not just for his comfort but because some horses can founder on the other foot without it. My worst nightmare other than colic. Shana I'm hoping this isn't totally ruining your day reading this. : (  So we'll keep his belly full of fodder and go from there. 

 

He's in good spirits, loves our hay and he even trotted out to the pasture yesterday.  He had a shot of long acting penicillin, so I hope it's working.  This afternoon he's a little more sore. Will have to make sure he doesn't take it out on Winston...or "Sir Winnicus" as G calls him now.


G made me this bouquet to help lift my spirits...
Leek flowers and garlic scapes with lilies : )

After Oak isn't lame anymore, and the situation is resolved, our farrier needs to come out right away, put shoes on and patch any spots with epoxy.  He argues less with me when I tell him the vet says he wants something specific done. But after this I feel like he'd better take some responsibility for this situation, and he'd better jump when I say how high.

I found this quote online when researching 'seedy toe' from an Aus farrier :

"If you are a horse owner and you notice a crack on the horse’s hoof then make sure you ASK the question of the farrier “What are you going to do about this?” The answer “It will go away” or “I wouldn’t worry about it” is NOT acceptable. It WONT go away, and if he wont worry about it, then who will? Even a simple sand crack can progress to Seedy Toe, and it can be prevented so simply by being alert to this problem."



RIGHT.  Exactly. And I just LOVE when people tell me "don't worry about it".  Dismissive attitude  =  very angry D. Doesn't matter that I know it's a trigger for me. Give me a sound argument for your position.  Give me some stats.  But don't just brush off my questions and concerns.  Especially if I'm paying you for your 'expertise'!!!!

 



And then he made me some amazing beet, zucchini and feta fritters...
All from our garden except for the feta  :)

Our lamb introduction didn't go so hot yesterday, so in the middle of G's fritter frying I had to drag him out in the dark so we could each catch a lamb and put them back in Oak's stall for the night. They pretty much fell asleep immediately.

 

Maybe some people would call me a softy for not making them 'tough it out' ---but I'm finally coming round to the acceptance that I have good instincts in general, I don't need to apologize for them, and though I'm always learning and asking questions in the end I am the one responsible for our beasts, and we know them best. 

 

I guess I'm still a little angry and defensive about this all, so G suggested a bike ride tonight, which will be great (I hope) and much needed.

 

Hurry up and get better bear horse--the cool weather is on it's way!