I decided to order a pre-purchase exam, including an endoscopy so we could figure out what Mag's coughing is about. Before I did though, J wanted to talk to the owner on the phone about the cough.
J questioned him, "How long has he been coughing?"
"I don't know."
J: "We know he was coughing in September because our friend had checked him out for us. We also know from your apprentice the he coughs 'every time he's ridden'."
"Let's just wait and see, I'll observe the horse over the next few days and see if he improves. I know you're interested, and I'll contact you when he's better."
J: "How long will you take observing him?"
"I have no idea!"
J: "What about a bronchoscopy?"
"The horse just has a cold, so that won't show anything."
That was it. Huh? This is pretty messed up as you can see. And I'm having deja vu about Majour, how his owner rubbed some cream on his leg and I never got any answers, but he never trotted sound so I waited and waited for nothing.
I believe a bronchoscopy is a useful tool, even if it shows nothing at all, that's relevant information.
Obviously someone isn't being completely honest, either the apprentice hid or ignored the coughing or the owner let it slip his mind when asked about it.
J is confident that he won't sell the horse during this time that he "observes" - and I must assume that he's going to observe the coughing, then do something about it finally because how else will the horse sell?
J says we should trust the owner to do the right thing, that the time he spent talking to him impressed some sort of professionalism on J.
S tells me they have a nation-wide reputation to protect so they will deal fairly.
The exam is on hold for now. Hm. Deja vu.
***
Bellis was doing so well, pooping *and* peeing on her poop pile every day, even when it rained, she'd leave the stall and go to it. I decided to reward her by putting bedding down in the stall. Big mistake.
As soon as she saw the bedding she interpreted that as, "Oh, my indoor toilet has returned, how lovely!" and she pooped and peed all over the stall that very day. I was so annoyed with her I changed my mind and didn't take her for a walk, instead I cleaned up poop and let her graze the orchard, and she was very cautious around me, asking permission to approach me, simply because she sensed my annoyance. Then she snuck over to my favorite bush in the orchard, that has chicken wire all around it to protect it from her, and she started eating it. She usually only does that when I'm not looking. I ran over to her and she did a canter pirouette and took off at a canter out of the orchard. I laughed and shut the gate.
So, no more bedding for you donkey. She does have thick rubber mats so she's comfortable in her stall
This morning we woke up to a good solid frost and I brought her her favorite Winter treat: a 5 gallon bucket filled with hot water. She likes it hot. She drank and drank and drank, and then held onto that last sip with her tongue sticking out, dripping steamy water. She seemed very grateful. Baasha never really wanted warm water in Winter, but Bellis has never turned her nose up at it.
I'll give her hot water on any morning cold enough to freeze, she deserves to be warm on the inside.
Today I'll take her for a walk.
***
One more thing - something I've never seen before, for good reason, but saw at Haegerhof Arabians. The owner had a colt in a stall saddled and he GOT ON in the stall! The horse bounced around a bit, eyes huge, but couldn't go anywhere. Three of the stalls sides are metal bars, ending right at head level. Of course he wore no helmet. I can see how it might make first mountings easier if you don't have a second person to hold the horse's head, but that's Darwin award-worthy.
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10 comments:
I would not trust those people to "observe" the horse. They obviously haven't cared before this, are clueless. Ugh. I don't trust them at all. They seem to live in another universe. COPD is a nightmare.
Hi, I feel your frustration! Have they had a vet listen to the breathing? That is much less invasive (and expensive), and if done right, can be very revealing. That way they could actually treat the problem and speed recovery... (I know, not your decision)
But it really depends on the vet, I have once had a vet tell me my horse's lungs were fine and that he couldn't explain the shallow breathing; the next vet diagnosed 80% blocked lungs and probably saved the horse..
Good luck!! Helen
KB "in another universe" *lol* He won't be in this one much longer if he keeps getting on colts in their stalls.
HP I would hope an AKU would include listening to the lungs, especially if I've ordered something much more invasive. Are there really idiot vets out there who would do an endoscopic exam and NOT listen first? Oh please no.
I want to know more about the cough. Is it a continual hack? An occasional hork? Does it come at the beginning of exercise, or when the horse is fully warmed up, or after he's had his head up (or down) for a while? Does it come from deep in the belly, or is it a throaty tickle sound? Does he make a growling sound preceding the cough? Is there mucus or spittle or bits of food flying out of him when he coughs? That's the kind of thing I'd want a vet looking at, plus a nose or throat culture at the very least.
I rode big TB for years who would cough exactly three times while warming up. It was kind of his "glow plug"--after the third cough, he was warmed up and ready for the day.
Fiddle coughs three times during the entire workout. Once, close to the start of the ride. She coughs again about 20 minutes later, and then again about an hour after that, no matter what we're doing. And then she's done. If we have a short ride, she will cough the third time when she's ready to load on the trailer. It never gets longer, stronger, or more frequent, and she has always done it. We call them her "smoke balls."
Fingers, hooves and paws crossed that he turns out healthy for your sake and his.
The AKU is more of a legal document than anything else. Examining heart and lungs at rest and after exercise are part of the deal.
http://www.pferd-erklaert.de/2009/10/dia-ankaufsuntersuchung-aku/
Good luck with the AKU
Aarene I already talked to J about Fiddle's habit of clearing her throat at the start of a ride, and that for some horses it's no problem. Mag's cough seemed to occur only in warm up, but then suddenly, 40 minutes into our ride, he slammed to a stop and started hacking deep pneumonia-like coughs, very wet, and it was a very unsettling feeling to be on a horse coughing so hard. After about 5 coughs, he continued on. It really shook me up though. There was no growling/throat clearing or mucous that I could tell. Thanks for trying to help: )
Camryn, thank you. I'm praying about it.
AB, I love that it's a legal thing here. My next door neighbor lost her court case selling a horse deemed healthy but was long-term lame. Danke fuer die AKU link!
Starting young horses in their stall is very common in the horse racing world, at least here in the USA. Then their first few rides are up and down the shed row with the barn doors closed. Just really doesn't give them enough room to get too crazy and it's a familiar environment. But I wouldn't want to be the person on their back.
Barb - WONDERFUL to hear from you! Congratulations on your 20,000 Geocache finds! Amazing. Whenever I want to go caching now, I say to J, "But ... 20,000!" in a whiny voice.
I was just going through my July photos and found the ones of you "photobombing" our kissy/huggy pics in the woods.
And then there was the time you started driving when I wasn't quite in the car, I have to laugh whenever I think of that. There are caches out there, load into the car faster! Man, we have great times together.
Hope you're doing well and having fun. Until next time...
That would be very unnerving to have a horse stop and cough like that. :-( I hope you can get some answers soon.
Sorry the housetraining got derailed. Sounds like she just doesn't get bedding hehe. Hopefully she will go back to using her outside pile. Silly donkey!
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