Never a dull moment
Well, we found out why William was scratching his head so much... He's got an ear irritation. I called my barn manager Tom, and he said we'd need to treat it with William under sedation. So he gave him a sedative, and he washed out his ear with sheath cleaner (it works wonders for loosening gunk), clipped the hair on the inside of the ear, rinsed his ear, and put an antibacterial eye ointment in there (the eye ointment would be safer if it seeped into his eyes). He is now the proud owner of a flymask complete with covered ears.
While he was sedated, we took the opportunity to treat his scratches, and Emily found some bug/tick sores on the sides of his tail. That got washed thoroughly with Novalsan, and I did my best to put some SWAT on the open wounds. We also cut him a bridle path in his mane.
I put him in a stall on the shed row (where the lesson horses are usually placed prior to their lesson) where he could be until the sedative wore off. I'm fixing to take off here in a bit to go back and check on him.
Today got me thinking about forming my own equine first aid kit. I've been researching different ones, and there seem to be a few more items that would make the kit complete. To my other horse owners out there - are there any "must haves" that the equine first aid kit can't be without? I currently have - Novalsan Scrub, SWAT, Fungisan, and an oil spray to relieve itching. I also have tear cotton, a thermometer, and vet tape.
I feel like a bad horsey momma.....
EDIT: William came out of his sedation just fine. He was rather alert and eating some hay. He had been rubbing his ear - but upon removing the flymask - his ear was just as clean as when Tom first treated it. The barn has no power since a few trees along the way have fallen on some power lines due to the whirling dervish of thunder storms.
While he was sedated, we took the opportunity to treat his scratches, and Emily found some bug/tick sores on the sides of his tail. That got washed thoroughly with Novalsan, and I did my best to put some SWAT on the open wounds. We also cut him a bridle path in his mane.
I put him in a stall on the shed row (where the lesson horses are usually placed prior to their lesson) where he could be until the sedative wore off. I'm fixing to take off here in a bit to go back and check on him.
Today got me thinking about forming my own equine first aid kit. I've been researching different ones, and there seem to be a few more items that would make the kit complete. To my other horse owners out there - are there any "must haves" that the equine first aid kit can't be without? I currently have - Novalsan Scrub, SWAT, Fungisan, and an oil spray to relieve itching. I also have tear cotton, a thermometer, and vet tape.
I feel like a bad horsey momma.....
EDIT: William came out of his sedation just fine. He was rather alert and eating some hay. He had been rubbing his ear - but upon removing the flymask - his ear was just as clean as when Tom first treated it. The barn has no power since a few trees along the way have fallen on some power lines due to the whirling dervish of thunder storms.