Poor Dude, July hasn't been too kind to him. On the 4th I got a call from barn owner Julie reporting they'd noticed Dude lying down in his paddock - that doesn't happen too often. They brought him in, and he lay down in his stall. Even more concerning, he didn't immediately attack his hay like he usually does. Julie reported, "He just doesn't seem right."
I was on the treadmill when she called, so I figured I'd finish my workout and then head over in 20 minutes or so. Then another call came in, this time from barn manager Paula checking to see that I was coming over, and kind of reviewing what she'd observed with Dude. It totally tracked with what Julie had said, but getting a second call kind of freaked me out. We decided to have the vet come out (yay, vet visit on a HOLIDAY!!); best to play it safe as one horse in the barn had Potomac earlier in the month, and a couple others had minor colics. I basically jumped off the treadmill and into the car.
When I got to the barn, he was up, and Paula had walked him. He had pooped and had a little water, but it was true, he didn't seem himself. Paula said, "He was snuggling - that's not Dude!" Hahaha, true, he is NOT a cuddler unless he's under the weather. We were experiencing a stretch of really warm, muggy weather, which he never does well with. They had been hosing him at turn-in time, and I had been hosing him when needed later in the day when I'd get to the barn.
Anyway, once the vet arrived, they sedated him and checked for impaction - nothing. He didn't have a temperature. He was slightly dehydrated, which could have been the root of the problem. Everything else looked good, but he is such a hothouse flower that the minor dehydration could've set him off. The earlier time he had a small summer colic - probably 7-8 years ago, but also on the 4th of July! - the weather was similarly hot and muggy. At the barn we were at then, they hadn't transitioned from previous year's hay to brand new really rich hay, and I think it was too much for his system.
By the time I left the barn, he was alert and back to his usual demanding self; i.e., pretty irritated that he couldn't have any hay. He was put on a program of really wet bran mashes and light grazing for a couple days to see how he did, and he did fine. All in all, a good reminder to me to watch him extra carefully when it's hot and humid. Typically we don't get too many oppressive periods of summer weather in Vermont, but this summer there have been a number of them. I know it's hard on me when it's like that!
A week later farrier Justin came for Dude and Bestie's trims. I was considering putting shoes on Dude for more support and also to get him out on the roads this summer. However, when Justin went to work on his left hind, Dude wouldn't stand. Something was bothering him; he wouldn't put sustained weight on his right hind. He'd been ok to pick out and treat his feet over the last few weeks, but standing on that right hind for any period of time - he just wasn't going to do it. In a sense, no surprise, as that's where he's been injured in the past, but I have no idea what he did to himself. He's in a flat paddock with another older horse and all reports are that they just hang out quietly all day.
So he's on Robaxin. The vet is talking possible arthritis given his age. It seems more like a traumatic injury to me; since he had been fine at the last farrier appointment. Reassessing after 10 days on Robaxin.
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