Dexter Update: Day 10

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

For the past few days, Dexter was back on bute for pain control. I’m not sure how much it’s really helping him though. I‘m researching alternative pain meds. Mostly, he has just been hanging out eating all the strange offerings that appear in his feed pan, or not if it’s too weird. He’s had friends over for catered meals. (I think my horses are getting a wee bit jealous of the attention and time His Highness has been receiving. I’ve got to work in some time for them as we’re going along.)

He's pictured taking his evening meal. Grain is in the pan on the barrel and hay at a level where he won't have to put weight on his toes and a bucket of water in case he needs a drink and refuses to walk to the corner of the paddock. Dehydration is a concern. I've been tracking everything that goes in and comes out as much as I can. The sand he's on is so much better than standing on urine soaked shaving. If the weather takes a turn though, I'll have to boot him to get him to the stall.

Today, his hooves were very warm to the touch so he stood in cold running water for about an hour. Much better afterward.

This afternoon, my friend Desiree, helped me with him while I touched up his fronts and trimmed his hinds. His frogs needed attention due to thrush. I’m going to apply the thrush remedy I found on Pete and Ivy Ramey’s website, hoofrehab.com. What I’ll use is ½ Neosporin and ½ Tinactin mixed together and put into a syringe so that it be applied deeply into the center sulcus and side sulcuses (aka collateral grooves) Thanks Cora!

He sloughed a lot of junky sole, yippee! And I trimmed quite a bit of long hoofwall off. Yes, after only two weeks. That is why it’s nice that he’s here and not an hour away at his stable.

I did all this work and Dex didn’t get his bute this morning! So that was pretty cool. However, this evening when I was just out there with him, he really didn’t want to take step. His coat is shiny and beautiful though, so that indicates to me that I’m on the right track. His cresty neck is still… cresty, but the swelling that he’s had in his left front around the fetlock and cannon bone is diminishing. I believe I tapped into an abscess while I was trimming this morning, but I wasn’t sure. There is lots of stagnate tissue and crud inhabiting his sole.

So he got two scoops of bute and will call me in the morning…for his breakfast. I hope when I see him next he’ll be dancing around his paddock with a big ol’ smile on his handsome face!