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January 18, 2009 04:21:27
Posted By Fizzywitch
Sunday the 4th of January will be a day best forgotten by all here at the funny farm. When I went up to feed the horses, Moonshine and Midnight, I noticed that while Moonshine was fine, Midnight was off her food and breathing heavily. She also seemed to be having trouble staying on her feet and was staggering quite pronouncedly. I fed the rest of the animals and returned to the house to voice my worries about Midnight, saying that we may have to call the vet. When I returned to the field, Midnight actually collapsed in front of me and the matter of calling the vet was decided. After digging out the emergency vet’s mobile number, (It was still early Sunday morning) she arrived within about twenty minutes. Her first prognosis was not good. Midnight was attempting to stand, but was not doing too well at all. Her breathing was still laboured and she seemed in obvious discomfort. The vet administered two injections, one as a painkiller, and one for shock. And examined Midnights abdomen, telling us that she thought that midnight had a blockage somewhere which was causing food to back up and release toxins into her blood stream.
By this stage midnight was laid on the floor resting her head against my leg. Her eyes were closing and she just seemed to be giving up on life. The vet was unable to find a vein to get a catheter into as midnights blood pressure was so low, despit cutting into the skin on the side of her neck. She told me that now was the time that we had to make a decision regarding having her put to sleep as there would be no way we could have her transported anywhere for treatment, she couldn’t even stand.
I left the vet with her while I went to consult with Diane who was talking with a concerned neighbour at our front gate. We both decided that it was probably best for midnight to be put out of her obvious suffering and so with a heavy heart I set off back up to the field to tell the vet to administer the fatal dose. Overcome with emotion, I paused at the back of the house to compose myself.
In the field I was greeted with a heck of a surprise, Midnight had somehow found the strength to stand and the vet had been able to find a vein for the catheter. Midnight was immediately placed on a saline drip and it seemed that the injections were starting to kick in, her breathing had steadied and she seemed much calmer. The vet left us to it with instructions to ring her at around 4pm with an update,  and I spent the next hour or so holding the drip up.
Time passed and 4pm came around, the vet returned and administered another two injections. Midnight had eaten a little and had walked a little in the afternoon, but she was not out of the woods yet.
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Categories: Midnight, Vet, Emergency
 
January 18, 2009 04:21:27
Posted By Fizzywitch

The next morning, Monday, the vet returned and was pleasantly surprised to see that Midnight had made a little progress during the night. We had her isolated in the field entrance as it is quite isolated and sheltered from the worst of the weather. The vet took two blood samples and we hurried them down to a horse specialist in Claregalway on Monday afternoon. 

By Tuesday, Midnight was a little perkier and the specialist contacted the vet to tell her the results. Apparently, her white cell count was high, which indicated some sort of infection, presumably in her intestine. Midnight was placed on antibiotic paste for the next five days and her recovery continued. Over the next week or so, she became livelier tan we have ever seen her and even escaped from her field at least a dozen times, despite the electric fence. She was even eating like a horse again!

Just imagine, if I had not stopped to compose myself at the rear of the house, Midnight could have very easily been grazing the big pasture in the sky by now.

 

Midnight with BeachBum Hair

 

Update
A week and a half after her initial infection, we noticed that Midnights breathing was again get heavy and she looked a little unsteady again. Just as we thought it was all behind us! The vet was called again, and it is suspected now that Midnight may have a touch of Pneumonia probably brought about by her illness the week previously.
She is back on the antibiotics again and herself and Moonshine are now housed albeit temporarily in the end room of our old cottage. At least there they will be sheltered from the worst of the elements. She seems to be responding well to her treatment again, but really, only more time will tell.
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