Cinder vs the Hospital

 Last Thursday I got a text around noon from Trainer M that Cin was a little colicky. She hadn't eaten all of her breakfast and wasn't touching her lunch alfalfa. They gave her banamine and were watching her. I got up there around 3, and took her out for a walk and she finally passed some manure. A pic was sent off to the vet, and because Cinder hadn't had anything to drink since that morning, we made some soupy mash for her per the vet. She drank some, but as the hours went on, not enough, and the vet came out around 7:30. All vitals were good, and gut sounds mostly normal, but she was starting to get a bit dehydrated so she was given electrolyte paste and walked some more. She ended up downing about five gallons of soupy mash and seemed to be getting better. 

Around 9:00pm she got very uncomfortable, very quickly. The vet was still there, and a quick listen indicated no gut sounds. We discussed sedating her and doing a rectal, but then Cinder tried to go down, and we decided to send her to the vet school. Trainer M quickly hooked up a trailer, and off we went. 

At the hospital, they were able to feel a small colon impaction, but felt that we had caught it quickly and they believed she could pass it without surgery. She did have a slight fever upon arrival, but they put her in a regular stall and got her hooked up to IV fluids. I left around 1am on Friday, after giving the ok for surgery, if she needed it. I got about 3hrs of sleep before heading off to work, which is on the same campus and the same street as the vet school. I got a call from vet school around 10:30 saying she hadn't passed any manure, and her fever had gotten slightly higher, and they were worried about a possible salmonella infection. 

I got off work at noon, and was able to have a quick visit with Cin. They had moved her to an isolation stall, but she had passed three piles of manure and was obviously very pissed and hungry. Fecal PCR tests had been sent off, and I was told we'd have results in 24hrs.

I didn't hear anything else till 10ish on Saturday morning. Cinder had pooped a little bit more, and had started getting some soupy mash, much to her delight. She did attempt homicide on the vet students, so I assumed she was feeling much better. I was then told that we wouldn't have the fecal PCR tests till Monday, but as her fever had broken and she seemed much better, they weren't as worried about a salmonella infection as they had previously. They were going to slowly start refeeding her, and if all went well, I could take her home Monday.

 

in her isolation stall 

I got a quick update on Sunday morning, mainly that she was very hungry, eating and pooping well. She did have some swelling at her IV site, so they pulled the IV. The vet said she was a little worried that Cin might have developed a blood clot, so they were going to ultrasound the area to check. But we were still on track for a Monday afternoon discharge. 

Since I had been getting updates around 10am everyday, I eagerly awaited my update Monday morning. At noon, when I hadn't heard anything, I called and was told there were numerous emergencies and I would get a call back within the hour. At 2pm, when I still hadn't heard anything, I called again. I was told I'd get a call back in 10-15mins. At 2:45 as I was dialing the phone, I finally got my call back. They had just finished the ultrasound on her neck, 28hrs after they said they were going to do it. Thankfully, there was no sign of a clot, but there was a lot of inflammation. The vet was more worried now about an abscess forming. They had sedated her, so I needed to wait a few hours for her to wake up before taking her home. The vet also suggested that it might be good for her to stay so they could monitor the IV site, and since it would be late by the time she'd be awake enough for me to take home, I agreed to leave her for one more night. At least the preliminary fecal sample had come back negative for salmonella.

So of course, in my morning update phone call, Cinder has spiked a 102 temp and has the beginnings of an abscess in her neck. They started her on antibiotics, and FINGERS CROSSED FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, she can come home tomorrow. She's totally over the colic at this point, and I'd rather treat her at home for the abscess than leave her there any longer. I'm really upset about the lack of communication, and the lackluster care Cinder has received. Why did it take them 28hrs to ultrasound my horse to check for a blood clot in her vein? Why, when the horse was supposed to be discharged at 3pm, was no one calling to tell me that that wouldn't be possible until 2:45pm?  I'm 100% sure that we can manage the abscess at home, and she's going to be so much happier.