Not Today Satan

After my last post Cinder took a turn for the worse. She spiked a 104 temp on Friday the 3rd, and pretty much wanted to die. Thankfully Doc Wilson was at the barn when Cin got really sick, and watched her for a couple of hours. The new antibiotics take about 48hrs to really kick in, which would be around midday Saturday, and unfortunately there wasn't much we could do other than oral banamine and cold hosing Cin to combat her temp. Doc absolutely did not want to put anything in her vein due to the abscess and clot, and we would only take her back to the hospital if there was absolutely nothing else we could do at the barn. 

Trainer M made sure Cin was bribed fairly compensated for all her shots with cookies

  Saturday morning saw Cin's temp down to 102, and when I got to the barn around 10 she was at 100.5. I had cried the whole 1hr and 15min drive up to the barn, so those numbers made me feel a lot better. I took Cin out for her 30min hand walk and graze, and seeing her so sore was heartbreaking. Her neck was obviously hurting, as putting her head down to eat took a couple of tries.

Saturday night her temp was down to 99, and she tried to smash Trainer M against the stall wall during the temp taking process, so we all cheered that Cin was feeling better. Doc stopped by again, just to check on her since I'm pretty sure it was her new life's mission to keep Cin alive. 

Sunday Cin looked so much better, way more alert, and was able to graze a little easier. We did our hand walk and graze, and every time we took her temp it was under 100. I was supposed to go out of town Monday-Thursday, and had been waffling on going, but with all signs pointing in the right direction, I decided to go. And thankfully Cinder kept getting better while I was gone. She had her last dose of banamine and antibiotics on Wednesday, but she's still on the ulcerguard and surpass on her clot. 

the best view

Doc cleared Cin for tack walking on Friday, and I gave Trainer M the honors as Cin hadn't been ridden or turned out in over two weeks. It was our first really hot day, around 85 when M got on, and Cin usually melts in those temps so I was hopeful that that would discourage her from being naughty. And it did. You could see Cin start to think about spooking, then decide it was too much effort. I rode on Saturday, and for the first few mins Cin felt a little up, then settled in really well. 

Now the biggest hurdle is clearing the blood clot. Doc wants to take it very conservatively, so Cinder's lost turnout privileges, and is tack walking only. We started with 20mins, and can add 5mins per week for the next four weeks, and then we'll recheck the clot. Cin is also allowed hand grazing. She's lost a fair amount of weight (I actually had to go buy a girth in a smaller size), and while she's back up to her pre-colic rations, we're not adding anything while she's rehabbing. Doc would rather her be skinny and quiet instead of adding a bunch of food and making her hot while she still has the clot. Fingers crossed the next month is uneventful and Cin can tolerate the walk only work well!