I dropped him off a the vet hospital on the Sunday afternoon and he settled into the stable as if he had been there all his life - poor guy had no idea what was coming! I said a tearful farewell and arranged with the vet nurse when I could visit and when they would call me.
I felt pretty lost leaving him behind.
I was at work the day of his surgery and felt that keeping busy was the best way to cope with the waiting. The vet rang me at 10am to say they had him on the operating table and were about to start surgery it would take at least 2 hours and they would call me when he was in recovery.
2 hours came and went, then 3, then 4, at this point I was getting very concerned and convinced something was wrong at just under 5hours my phone rang and the vet told me the surgery had gone well and Jack was up on his feet in recovery. He was a bit shaky still so they were keeping him in there a bit longer before moving him into a heated box. While he was in surgery we had decided to also remove some melanoma's he has one of which was just above the knee on his off fore and unfortunately he managed to burst open the stitches from the incisions while getting to his feet. He had made quite a mess of the leg and as the skin is pretty tight they decided not to restitch it and so he was bandaged instead.
The next morning I got a call to tell me how he had gone through the night, they said he was a little off but had eaten and drank and they were happy with him progress.
The following day I had a day off work and arranged to go and see him at the hospital. They called me in the morning and advised me they were going to clean him up and take some xrays but he would be fine to visit in the afternoon so I headed over after lunch and spent an hour with him giving him carrots and mints and a bit of a brush which he seemed to enjoy. I spoke to the vet nurse who told me they were very happy with his progress. I was quote surprised how well he looked I was expecting him to be a bit subdued but he was alert and bright and didn't seem to be in much discomfort.
He stayed for another couple of days in the hospital and then 5days post op he was allowed home. We picked him up on the Saturday morning and he practically trotted into the trailer! He usually messes about on the ramp for a bit before going in but he was very keen to get inside!
They gave me some discharge notes and talked me through what I needed to do. I was shocked to hear he was going to need another 6 weeks box rest, I'm sure when we discussed the op I was told 2weeks!
We took it slowly travelling him home but he arrived dripping with sweat and looking quite stressed, I unloaded him and put him in his box which I had scrubbed clean and put down a nice big clean bed of straw on top of rubber matting. I had also put his hay in a large rubber bucket on the floor instead of a net and hung a likit and turnip around the stable. I also brought him a hay block to keep him busy.
He didn't settle too well, I think he was hoping coming home would mean he could go out! One of the other liveries brought her horse in to ride and that settled him for a while but he went nuts when they went back out! He was rearing and tearing round the stable like a loony :(
He eventually calmed down enough for me to spray him with some instamag calmer and this seemed to help him settle.
Later that night me was much happier and ate all his meds.
The next morning he was pretty chilled out again and I gave him a good clean up while he had his breakfast and meds.
When I went to check on him at lunchtime I thought he might be upset again as a new pony had arrived that morning and been turned out in the paddock in front of Jack but he didn't seem bothered luckily. There were 2 other horses in but even when they were turned out he didn't react and just munched on his hay over the door.
That night he was happy and again had another horse for company for the night. I left him eating his dinner and meds.
In the morning he was a bit unsettled again as his companion had gone out but he stood on the yard and ate his breakfast and meds while I mucked out and cleaned him up.
He managed to get himself wrapped up in his rope and then when I had saved him he got his headcollar wrapped round the tap but bless him he stood calmly while I rescued him again!
I rang the vets this morning to speak to the vet who operated again and check that the 7weeks box rest was absolutely necessary. I had hoped this was a mistake! He wants him to have the full 7 weeks on box rest then return for xrays and if all is ok then he can be turned out and they will give me a full rehab programme to follow.
He said that turning Jack out too soon will not be good for his recovery although if jack can behave enough he can have some inhand grazing.
I'm a bit disappointed as most other people I have spoken to have been able to turn out much sooner but the vets are the experts and if 7 weeks box rest is what it takes for Jack to make a full and complete recovery then so be it, although I will be asking for some sedalin when they come out later this week to change his bandages!
If I can graze him in hand with some sedalin in his system that's better than nothing!
No comments:
Post a Comment