Hi Dr. Dan. I’ve written you a few different times about this particular senior horse and some of his issues, and I’ve always truly appreciated your feedback. So thanks in advance! Sterling is 30+ years old. We’ve been gradually turning all the horses in our program out on a rye grass area–adding about an hour per day so that by Saturday they were up to 6.5 hours on the rye grass/rye field. Sterling has been diagnosed with COPD, and this time of year is his harder time.
He’s loved the grass though and has been enthusiastic about his time out there. When not on the grass, he goes out on a dry lot with hay. Sunday AM he was not himself. All four legs were swollen and he wasn’t interested in his food. We walked him and the swelling went down in addition to passing some gas. He eventually pooped–it was a normal stool. It had been raining and he was soaked and shivering (It was about 45 degrees). We called the vet and then administered 3 cc of banamine. He had a fever of 103. The fever went down after one hour of the banamine and within 3 hours was at 100.2 It has stayed at 100.2 for almost 24 hours. The only other thing he got besides the banamine was a B12 injection. He seems happier and more at ease. No more fever. The only thing is that 24 hours later he has swelling in all four legs from the hock/knee down. He is on coastal hay, some alfalfa, a small ration of pellets along with access to Red Cal and is on a supplement for respiratory health called Clarity. Is there anything else I need to be worried about? Anything else I should do?
My vet said just to give him banamine (3cc) for about four days to help get the fluid moving out of the legs. Any thoughts?
Does this sound like some sort of infection that will move to the other horses on the property? Thanks so much, Allison S.
I would worry about infection.
Suspect slight colic. Or circulation issue. Please get him off the pellets too see the audio on what to feed pellets are full of “junk” fat which affect every cell and the discharge of waste and the up take of nutrients.
Bad fats are like feeding plastic (see article on fats in magazine). Also consider our Aller check for the lung issue and overall health as well you will find it awesome. Also consider our Joint check supplement especially with his age. Thanks for asking.
