Thank God for small favors!
I’m not normally at the barn on Mondays because the barn is closed for routine maintenance. So, no one is allowed to come out to ride or even just groom their horses. However, exceptions are made for vet, farrier, continuing care, and showing horses for sale.
Last night I agreed to show my client’s horse to some potential buyers and, of course, when I was done, I went to visit Sam. Everything seemed normal … pony butt as close to his box fan as possible and covered in mud. I unplug the fan, open the door and say hello, he turns right around and puts his head against my chest for a good rubbing. I’m standing there, patting him and talking to a friend when the sun catches his left eye and I notice that it is no longer the usual milky blue (he’s blind in both eyes due to Uveitis, or Moon blindness. Consequently, they are both a marbled, milky blue color), but a very deep red. Gah! I’m thinking, “great, his eye has ruptured.” I check and re-check and sure enough his eye is totally red as if it has been filled with blood. Panic attack begins here …
I’m not too crazy about my vet choices around here. We have several mediocre vets and one really good vet office that is home to 4 or 5 top quality vets but … I don’t get along with them at all! They tend to be pompous and hem-haw about if you’re not loaded with money. And the office staff should all be fired as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never had a good experience with the office people. At any rate, it’s hard not to acknowledge that they are the best. My good friend uses them all the time with great success so I figure she can be my mediator and get the right guy out to do the job. Phone call #1. She and I decide Sam can wait until the morning to avoid the emergency call and the horrible answering service. I decide to leave him in today to avoid the direct sunlight and she will take care of him for me (Tuesdays are bad days schedule wise. read: 14 hour work day). Phone call #2. Having discussed the vet options, I decide to call my home vet (Tina, she is two hours away, so cannot reasonably come see us) for a consultation. I catch her just before she’s leaving and tell her what is going on. Her response: He’s having an attack of uveitis. I have medications for this already, so I’m told to treat him 2-3 times a day for a week before actually having the above mentioned vet group out. She hopes it will get better, but if it doesn’t, or if it gets worse, I’m to call the vet group. Phone call #3. Call my friend back and give her the update. She agrees to take care of him today for me and I will see him again on Wednesday. I informed one of the barn workers and she said she’ll pass it along to the manager and everyone will keep an eye on him. I’m so thankful that everyone is so agreeable and loves my little blind guy so much!
So, he’ll be in his stall for at least a couple of days, to keep him out of direct sunlight. Lots of medicating and careful watching to make sure he’s not rubbing excessively or tearing too much, or any number of other things, not to mention spreading or growing redness (so far, its only his left eye that’s red. The right is still all milky blue.). *sigh*
Thank God I had to be there last night. He was fine on Saturday and Sunday, so this happened yesterday. Normally, I see him Saturday and Sunday, and then I’m not out again until Wednesday (Closed barn, 14 hour work day). So this would have probably gone unnoticed until then.
I’ll try to get pictures for educational purposes when I’m out on Wednesday, but it might be hard for the camera to pick that up. I’ll do my best. Keep the pony in your thoughts, because if this gets worse, we might already be to the remove an eye stage. *sigh* and he’s only 8 years old.
Last night I agreed to show my client’s horse to some potential buyers and, of course, when I was done, I went to visit Sam. Everything seemed normal … pony butt as close to his box fan as possible and covered in mud. I unplug the fan, open the door and say hello, he turns right around and puts his head against my chest for a good rubbing. I’m standing there, patting him and talking to a friend when the sun catches his left eye and I notice that it is no longer the usual milky blue (he’s blind in both eyes due to Uveitis, or Moon blindness. Consequently, they are both a marbled, milky blue color), but a very deep red. Gah! I’m thinking, “great, his eye has ruptured.” I check and re-check and sure enough his eye is totally red as if it has been filled with blood. Panic attack begins here …
I’m not too crazy about my vet choices around here. We have several mediocre vets and one really good vet office that is home to 4 or 5 top quality vets but … I don’t get along with them at all! They tend to be pompous and hem-haw about if you’re not loaded with money. And the office staff should all be fired as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never had a good experience with the office people. At any rate, it’s hard not to acknowledge that they are the best. My good friend uses them all the time with great success so I figure she can be my mediator and get the right guy out to do the job. Phone call #1. She and I decide Sam can wait until the morning to avoid the emergency call and the horrible answering service. I decide to leave him in today to avoid the direct sunlight and she will take care of him for me (Tuesdays are bad days schedule wise. read: 14 hour work day). Phone call #2. Having discussed the vet options, I decide to call my home vet (Tina, she is two hours away, so cannot reasonably come see us) for a consultation. I catch her just before she’s leaving and tell her what is going on. Her response: He’s having an attack of uveitis. I have medications for this already, so I’m told to treat him 2-3 times a day for a week before actually having the above mentioned vet group out. She hopes it will get better, but if it doesn’t, or if it gets worse, I’m to call the vet group. Phone call #3. Call my friend back and give her the update. She agrees to take care of him today for me and I will see him again on Wednesday. I informed one of the barn workers and she said she’ll pass it along to the manager and everyone will keep an eye on him. I’m so thankful that everyone is so agreeable and loves my little blind guy so much!
So, he’ll be in his stall for at least a couple of days, to keep him out of direct sunlight. Lots of medicating and careful watching to make sure he’s not rubbing excessively or tearing too much, or any number of other things, not to mention spreading or growing redness (so far, its only his left eye that’s red. The right is still all milky blue.). *sigh*
Thank God I had to be there last night. He was fine on Saturday and Sunday, so this happened yesterday. Normally, I see him Saturday and Sunday, and then I’m not out again until Wednesday (Closed barn, 14 hour work day). So this would have probably gone unnoticed until then.
I’ll try to get pictures for educational purposes when I’m out on Wednesday, but it might be hard for the camera to pick that up. I’ll do my best. Keep the pony in your thoughts, because if this gets worse, we might already be to the remove an eye stage. *sigh* and he’s only 8 years old.