Last night I suddenly remembered that bute doesn't really help with EPSM pain. And he's barely able to pick up his hind legs to walk, plus he had very dark colored pee yesterday, which can be from muscle damage. So, I'm hoping really hard that he's having a tying up attack from all the muscle strain of his accident and the shivering and stress afterward. I'm sure it's very painful but he can get through that. But I'm not sure why that would affect his digestion. I need to do some more research on tying-up and "shivers." He's never had an attack that was serious enough for me to educate myself on that stuff, his symptoms have always been more mild.
In happier news, John and took a short ride together around the property yesterday. I am thinking about starting to ride Bella more, now that Tonka will be laid off for 6 months or so. I can ride Scout, but he prefers John, and I'd like to be able to ride with John, so if Bella would be sound enough, I'd like to ride her. She's not sound, but she's not that bad. I would like to be able to put front shoes on her, but we were broke even before Tonka's vet bills, so something special would have to happen before I could do that.
This picture came out weird on my new phone, but doesn't Bella have cute ears?
Blue came along with us and raced around pouncing on grasshoppers. The horses are getting pretty used to his puppy antics. Bella didn't really like it when he almost walked under her though.
Wow, poor Tonka. I do not know much about tying up but I do know that Vitamin E is very good for the EPSM. I can also tell you that there is alot of information out there about what it is, but not many real answers. If you go to thehorse.com I believe they have some pretty good articles on EPSM. It is just such a grey area as far as what works and what doesn't. I am constantly researching neurological disorders while I am attmepting my rehab with Danny, so if I do run across anything that might be helpful I will sure forward it to you.
ReplyDeleteWhat you are going through with him is so so scary. I really feel for ya my dear.
Keep us posted.
Poor fellow, does sound like pain - is there a better/stronger form of pain control you can use for him without adversely affecting his digestion?
ReplyDeleteCindy, he is on vitamin e, selenium, magnesium, and acetyl L-carnitine, although I can't get him to eat his supplements today. I am following a newer diet than the oil diet started by Beth Valentine. He was on that for years and then quit eating it. So I joined the EPSM group on Yahoo and learned a LOT there, and I was very happy to find this alternative diet. But it won't do him any good if I can't get it in him. I may syringe all the good stuff into his mouth, even though he'll hate it.
ReplyDeleteKate, I asked the vet, they said there isn't anything else to give him. We're going to draw blood this afternoon. I hate having to wait. He is in incredible pain right now.