Eventful traumatic weekend

As some of you may know (from the Pleasure Rides thread), my friend Jo and I are members of the Anglian Distance Riders and as such are required to do our bit by Stewarding at one of the events. We were meant to be Vet Stewarding today at an EGB ride at Santon Downham.
We were meant to be staying overnight at her mother in laws last night cos she lives near to the venue.

However, we never made it.

I went to the yard at 3pm yesterday to feed our 4 horses (Jo's 2 and my 2) whilst she was still at work. When I got up the hill to our fields I found her horse Apollo rolling on the ground. At first it just looked like he was having a roll but then he got up moved and then went down again. He did this another 3 times then stayed down. He obviously had Colic. He was soaking wet and caked in mud so had been like it for a while by the look of it.

I put his headcollar on and finally managed to get him to his feet. He was very hot. I had already called Jo and her daughter Carly, to tell them he was ill. I walked him down to the yard and had to keep him walking around. At times he kept wanting to go down but I couldn't let him. Whilst waiting for Jo and Carly to get to the yard I called the Vet out.

The vet turned up a little while after Carly. He did a rectal exam and listened to his stomach and heart rate. He confirmed it was colic and gave him an anti-spasmodic jab and some pain relief. He said he would come back in an hour to see how he was doing. He had left by the time Jo got there. Within half an hour tho I had to call him back as Apollo was going downhill again. He came out and gave him a second rectal exam and then took Jo to one side to tell her he had felt a 'mass' and that his tummy was very quiet and not moving. Jo went to pieces, as did Carly. He said we needed to get him to Rossdales at Newmarket as soon as possible.

I got my trailer hitched and got him ready to load. Whilst we were waiting for my hubby to come over to come with us (for support) Apollo started to go downhill again. His legs were buckling and it took 6 of us to try to keep him upright. It was awful. He is 15.3hh, so not exactly a light weight.

We got him to Rossdales (in the pouring rain) in one piece. He travelled really well considering. We were worried that he might go down in the trailer, but when we got there he looked as bright as a button and walked off the trailer as if nothing was wrong. Little sod, we thought, but it was obviously the meds that were controlling the spasms.

I stayed with him whilst they did some tests. Jo and Carly were both too upset and couldn't take in what was going on or being said. The tests established that he needed urgent surgery. By this point he was starting to sweat up again and was obviously feeling uncomfortable.
We left him there at about 9.30 last night and made our way home. It was raining even harder by then.

The seriousness of what we had all been through didn't really start to hit me until we were on the way home. I had been in overdrive since about 3pm when I found him in the field and by the time we got home I was exhausted. It had been a long 7 hours.
I had a good cry when I got home. I look after him and treat him like he is my own but I had to be strong for him and for Jo.

We got a call from Rossdales at about 11.45pm last night to say that he had come through the surgery ok but they had found 7ft of his intestines had died so had to remove it. His gut had twisted whilst he had been rolling around before I found him.
The next 3 days are critical but so far he is doing ok. He will be in hospital for about 7-10 days.

Jo and I have both been emotionally and physically exhausted today. I am aching like nobody's business.
I daren't imagine what the outcome would have been if I hadn't have found him when I did or indeed if it had happened over night, cos we wouldn't have got to the yard until this evening had we have gone to her mother in laws last night and then done the EGB event today.

Jax

my goodness, your quick thinking could of saved his life. fingerscrossed for you all and hope he pulls through this just fine. xxxx

Thinking of you all! Fingers crossed he's ok! xxx

Apollo isn't doing good.

His intestines haven't restarted yet and they are still having to drain fluid (sick) out of them every couple of hours.
Jo went to see him yesterday and said he looks well in himself but if his guts start working then they may have to operate again. The survival rate is apparently only 1 in 3 so it is a tough call for Jo.

Does she put him through the op on those odds only to risk losing him and then getting a bill for about 8000 or does she let him go now.

Your damned if you do and damned if you don't aren't ya?

I don't know how long they can keep draining the fluid off

Tis all so horrible Jax.......I'll be praying and hoping for a good outcome

Hugs to you and Jo

x

We have a glimmer of hope. At last

Apparently, they have been draining at least 7ltrs of fluid from him every couple of hours but last night at about 7pm they drained 12ltrs.

The good news is, that was the last time they got anything from him. They checked him again at midnight and early this morning and there wasn't anything there. They scanned him again today and the bumpy bits they saw on the scan had gone, so hopefully he has turned a corner.

I am going to see him in the morning (thurs).

Jax

Hope he is on the mend now, it is so hard to see them go down hill. One of mine had really bad colic and we managed to pull him through, the vet was with us for about 12 hours and we were all taking turns walking him around. Alas about 10 years later he got it again but this time he had a twisted bowel and at 18 the vet said he was not willing to operate as there was not a big success rate. It broke my heart. It is certainly a big problem when they get it, much worse than our tummy aches coz horses cannot chuck up, it only goes in one way and out the other.
Toby also lost alot of weight the first time, in the two days it took him to recover he went from being a fit and round thoroughbred to a skinny weak thoroughbred, you could see the weight dripping off him, literally.
Keeping fingers crossed.

The news is much better today.

We got a call as we were on our way to see him to tell us he had been out for a little walk and had even nibbled at a little grass. He had also passed his first poo since arriving there last saturday.

It was so nice to see him. He was stood in his stable hooked up to all his meds/drips. He looked so much better than the last time I saw him.

I think the boy is gonna be okay. We should be able to bring im home next week.

Hoorrraaaayyyyyy!!!!!!!

Jax

Thank goodness.......you and Jo must be so HUGELY relieved

X

Sorry been off line for over a week just caught up with things. Hope the guy pulls through ok

Thanks guys,

Yes it is a huge relief. We were on the verge of losing him.

Hopefully we can bring him home soon.



Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Jax

He is home now. I went to get him on Wednesday.

He is on box rest for 2-3 months with a little in hand walking/grazing every day for about 5-10 mins.

He looks right as ninepence now, apart from all his shaved areas. lol

Jax

thinking of you hope he makes a good recovery sorry not been on for a few days