Tuesday, July 7, 2015

The Snakebite Report ~ Day 4

Every time the vet calls, I take copious notes, and here is what I wrote down yesterday:

1. The latest ultrasound showed that his misplaced intestine has dropped down into its rightful position. Can I have an amen?

2. The vets are operating on the theory that all the bute and banamine I had to give him to relieve his pain and swelling caused gastric ulcers. They believe this because he went from uninterested in food to ravenous once pumped full of milk of magnesia – ravenous to the point of eating the stall shavings, which had to be removed.

3. Hank convinced the staff that he is claustrophobic and demanded to be moved from an enclosed indoor stall with a great big fan to an outdoor pen, where he prefers to stand in the unsheltered portion, torrential rain or shine. I'm told the vet went out in a storm to move him under the shelter and he promptly went right back into the rain. That's my boy.

4. He makes everybody laugh.

5. He appears bright-eyed, comfortable and content. Were it not for his still-swollen muzzle and the fact that he's not drinking any water, the vet would allow him to come home.

I told the vet that Hank has been known to be a finicky water drinker; when I used to take him on weekend trips, I hauled water from home and he still wouldn't drink for the first 24-36 hours. So is he not drinking now because he can't or because he won't? Perhaps I need to take Fish to the clinic to poop in his water so that it tastes right.

Anyway, they'll continue to work on getting the swelling to go away, using low doses of dexamethasone instead of the stomach-irritating bute and banamine. And with any luck, he'll start drinking on his own. Because I live so far away, they don't want to release him until they're positive he's ready.

I'm breathing big sighs of relief, and I hope you are, too. Thank you all for your support and concern.
I'm confident Hank will be home soon in all his handsome glory.


44 comments:

  1. Great news, glad to hear that Hank is on the mend!

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  2. O yes!

    (love the idea of bringing fish to poop in his water! does it have to be Hank's own fish? can't they get a local fish to do the honours?)
    Well done Carson, another crisis survived. He'll be home soon!

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  3. Yes! Amén!! Now do start drinking (water), Hank, please, and get your glorious self home so that your mom doesn't have to trailer Fish to the clinic!
    Oh I loved reading this update! :)

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  4. Through you, we all have donkeys and a horse. I am SO relieved that he is being Hank-ish where he is. At SOME point, he will have to drink. I can't wait to see him reunited with the herd. It also speaks to having a trailer if you are going to have these animals. There are just some times when you need to go TO the doctor instead of calling them out. Thank goodness you have the right instinct.

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  5. Certainly an answer to prayer! So glad things are going in the right direction. Will be praying now that he starts drinking today. Imagine that the herd is missing him. Lisa G in TN

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  6. Amen! And I hope George and Alan took care of that nasty snake for hurting Hank. None of this catch and release stuff for that bad character.

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  7. AMEN and a big big sigh of relief, i was afraid to come here this morning.. i am glad the vet lets him do his own thing and stand in the rain if he wants to. i am thinking he is missing that fishy water

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  8. Good news is Good News! :) :)
    Glad to hear that Hank is entertaining the staff.
    Perhaps they need to spike his water with some small chunks of watermelon ?

    How is the rest of the herd dealing with 'the absent boss' ?
    Is Lucy keeping the boys in line?

    M in NC

    M in NC

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  9. Whew! Glad to hear the good news. Hope Hank is drinking water soon.
    Janet

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  10. I added my prayer to the prayers of the masses the last few days and even woke up this morning thinking about Hank. It's amazing how attached I've become to your animals. They have a good Mommy. Glad he's better.

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  11. Hank is lucky to have you as his guardian. He's also lucky this isn't 50 years ago. I never heard of a horse being picky about water, but then your herd consists of "individualists!"

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  12. Such good news! Now for the water....

    I thought I had the only horse that ate shavings.

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  13. Wonderful report. And Hank asserting himself is just Hank being Hank. He will drink when he is ready and not before.

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  14. A big SHOUT of reliefe over here. That post - great reading! And doesn't that go for all of us - our true personalities shows best when we're ill ...

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  15. Glad to hear this good news! He's going to be okay!

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  16. So glad to read the Hank update this morning!! Yay :-)

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  17. yes, Amen! You must be exhausted. We love Hank!!!

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  18. Boy, I'm way behind.... sorry to have to read this about poor beautiful Hank... took some scrolling backward and reading just to figure it out ... but, still want to send my hugs and best wishes to you for complete recovery. Come on Hank...have a drink..... and, may I just say, leaving him there right close to the vet for a while is only a good thing......... I'm sure it is lonely without him...but, almost less stressful knowing he is in great hands.

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  19. Yee-Haw, Amen, Hallelujah and Yah-who, stay on that road to recovery Hank.
    Tell the Vet Watermelon will help. Actually it helps everyone.

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    1. YES! Exactly...I thought of that when Jim brought home watermelon pieces yesterday!

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  20. Maybe they should try a margarita to get him started? Beautiful beautiful boy, he'll be home soon! Whew, what Super News!! I'll bet his buds miss him.

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  21. Really good to have some positive notes on Hank this morning. Still sending him good, good, good vibrations from the Midwest.

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  22. Yay for Hank! Sending him drinking energy so he can get back to 7MSN where he belongs!!

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  23. What a relief! Amen.

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  24. Whew! Said a relieved aunt Jean

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  25. Such a nice photo of Hank. Wonder if peanut butter would make him thirsty, it always does it for me. Watermelon is a great idea!

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  26. Certainly sounds like he's doing much better! Except for the water part, is hauling some of your water reasonable? I know you are quite a ways from him. I like the watermelon idea.

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  27. Very good news, indeed! I chuckled when I read that Hank preferred to be in great outdoors, rain or shine. I can relate to that. :-)

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  28. Michelle from Vancouver7/7/15, 8:09 AM

    Watermelon ! I was thinking the same thing. So glad he's on the road to recovery.

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  29. Adding an AMEN alongside the other Hank fans!

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  30. AMEN! Maybe Hank is more of a margarita drinker.

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  31. yea Hank!!! so happy for your family!!!

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  32. Oh stars above.......great news. I join the legends of others hoping for Hank to give in to "city" water. As always, you tell a mighty fine story about your persnickety lovies. Maybe that's in the fish water too.....the persnickety that is. xoxo The Cuckoos

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  33. Such a relief to read this report today. I almost dreaded coming out of concern that the news would not be good. He and you have been on my mind hoping for good results for him. :)

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  34. That's an AMEN ... and a very entertaining vet report :)

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  35. AMEN!!! AMEN!!! AMEN!!!!AMEN!!AMEN!!!!AMEN!!!!AMEN!!!AMEN!!!!AMEN!!!! speaking for all YOUR SWEET ANIMALS, I bet they all miss Hank!!! Praying your boy will soon take a nice long cool drink of water!!! XOXOXOX

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  36. Amen! Sounds like Hank has the staff wrapped around his fetlock.

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  37. Yeah! Glad to hear that he's improving. What a relief. Now if he would just drink his water and stop being so...Hank...about it , things would be perfect. Hope he comes home soon. What a gorgeous picture of him.

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  38. Praise Jesus and the horse angels! This is such wonderful news to hear this morning. Keeping the good vibes flowing from this neck of the woods....

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  39. So hard to read without crying (happy tears) My Tiger was such a claustrophobe too...the trainer called him her "mixmaster" because of what he did to a stall on the days he was kept inside to be ridden later in the morning! And Big Al would be the intelligent Arabian standing in the door of the barn with his head outside. Tiger would be outside with his head snugged up to Al. I'll never forget the ice storm of 1994 when we had to break the ice off his halter to lead him (both pulling and pushing) into the barn to save him from falling limbs!

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  40. Amen for Hank and for you. Your boy surely knows what he wants. I would love to be a fly at the vet clinic to go and see him there. he is in good recovery if he does all his show

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  41. An American in Tokyo7/7/15, 5:43 PM

    I was on pins and needles until I read your update today! Amen.
    I hope all is well and that Hank is drinking some water by now.
    Keeping my fingers crossed that he comes home soon!

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  42. Great news! You and Hank are in my prayers!

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  43. I'm happy to read that he's doing better. I hope he's back to normal soon as I catch up on my reading.

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