Mustang Saga

I had posted about my concerns about Soxy the other night on a forum and got some replies from someone I don't know... I'm sure the person is trying to be helpful, and they don't know that I'm not the biggest idiot in the world. But their concerns about my care of Soxy are challenging enough to be slightly offensive. But maybe I'm just too prickly. The person wanted to help me with lots of advice, and I replied, and in replying I wrote a lot of the stuff I was going to write here today, so I've just cut and pasted it here. (I know it sounds a little offhand, but let me assure you, I am very worried about her, and I hate not being able to spend all of my last pennies for treatment of a useless, old, wonderful horse.)

"This morning I found out what's been wrong with Soxy. She has had a "sinus infection" in the past, and now she's got nasal discharge again. I suspect it's actually a guttural pouch infection. I've talked to my vet about it plenty in the past. We get it under control and then it comes back. I can't afford to have it scoped and flushed repeatedly or operated on, so I'm just doing what I can with antibiotics. I started her on tetracycline today and I'll call my vet tomorrow, he'll probably have me add SMZ/TMP tablets as well. I gave her bute this morning even though my vet says it probably doesn't help. If I had an infection like that I'd want ibuprofen...

She is eating fine, has been since I last updated that she was eating fine, and she's not depressed. There was just the one night she didn't want her hay. Water is heated, she doesn't need added salt - she spends a LOT of time at her iodized salt block. She's getting a couple gallons (soaked) of beet pulp plus alfalfa pellets, HorseGuard, Remission, CRS Equine Gold probiotics, freshly ground flax seed, a tiny bit of a grain mix my dad left here, and some soybean oil. Plus more orchardgrass hay than she can eat and heated water. She can be in or out of the stall, and I did blanket her for one day but she didn't appreciate it. The snow was keeping her coat from fluffing up and her back was wet, so I kept her blanketed during that time."

So anywho... That's my story.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I was especially thankful tonight for all the good people who plow the roads and keep them passable for us on the holidays, and all the other days.