Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Of poultices and pus

I never thought I would have cause to regret the excellent quality of the Grey Mare’s hooves. Forget tough as old boots, these little beauties are hard as granite. My farrier often praises her hooves and lauds her as an excellent example of a barefoot horse.

However, when the horn is that hard, and a nasty abscess is grumbling away inside, there nowhere for it to escape. So thinks the vet after reassessing the still lame Grey Mare yesterday. The poor darling cuddled into me while the vet injected the nerve block into her heel, just lifting her head once when the needle went into her soft flesh. The nerve block showed that the lameness was indeed in the foot.

On Saturday, I suspected it may have been in her shoulder. She flinched when I prodded her shoulder on the bad side, but didn’t on the good side. She was massaged with muscle embrocation (amazing stuff for clearing a blocked nose), and I called the Back Lady. The Back Lady was in Devon.

On Sunday, she showed no reaction when I poked her in the shoulder. However, there was heat around her coronet on the bad foot. It was still there on Monday when the vet came. The vet will be back on Friday. Between then and now, the Grey Mare must be tubbed each night, which she tolerates as long as I stand stroking and chatting to her; the minute I walk away, she lifts her foot out of the bucket. Then her foot is poulticed, bandaged and taped. The plan is to soften her foot sufficiently so the vet has a fighting chance of finding the poison if it is there. I am praying for black, smelly pus.

I saw a shooting star tonight; I hope that’s a good omen.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

" I am praying for black, smelly pus."

I think that should be on a 'Blog Quote of the Week' Feature somewhere !!

Ace work Slim Shady..

dulwichmum said...

Lovely M&M,

I shall say a prayer for you and your best friend. Poor you...

mountainear said...

That'll be my prayer too - whether or not I see a shooting star.

Best wishes

Linda Mason said...

I hope that she gives you all the black pus that you want and that she is soon on the mend.

That shooting star is a good sign, so I believe. It's a soul telling you that everything is going to be alright.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

You are like a mother to that lucky horse. I hope she is better soon.

Mopsa said...

Poor old Grey Mare - black smelly pus it is then, under considerable pressure (stand back as it makes its exit)and then healing can begin. Carrots all round.

Zig said...

:( poor baby!

Standing well back and hold my breath

Gill said...

sending healing to her and to you!

Whispering Walls said...

Hope it's good for her soul

Karen said...

Get wishes to the mare! I know how distressing it is when your pet is ill - Marwood may only have had ear mites but some days I felt really sad that I couldn't really do anything for him until we went to the vets and he was shaking his head so much and scratching. His behaviour went a little odd too, almost like the mites were driving him mad.

@themill said...

Think you might need a clothes peg for your nose. Hope she's better soon.

lady macleod said...

Oh the poor dear! I saw an amazing rainbow on the way back from Marrakech, I'm sending the thoughts of it your way.

The Grey Mare is in my prayers, as are you..

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

Thank you all so much for your good thoughts.

Tonight, there was a hint of something vile when the poultice came off ...and she flinched when her heel was pressed, and she ain't flinched before ...

Please, keep praying for pus!

occasional northerner said...

Fingers crossed.

Nunhead Mum of One said...

I shall pray for black smelly pus M&M and give Grey Mare a cuddle from me xx

Pig in the Kitchen said...

That grey mare is a lucky gal, you do look after her well. I read about this sort of stuff in James Herriot books...it always turns out well. Hoping it will for you too.
Pigx

Vanessa said...

Poor Grey Mare! Joining the prayers for black, smelly pus but in the meantime I have some good news for you which may lift your spirits marginally...!

Hannah Velten said...

Standing with her foot in a bucket of water - bless her...fingers crossed for pus.

debio said...

Behind you all the way, m&m - if only to miss the projectile pus.

Remember all this so well - so worrying, and miserable for Grey Mare.

It's party time here tonight so will search the eastern skies for a shooting star and think of you.

Jodie Robson said...

Hope the Grey Mare is doing better today - thinking of you both.

Jane Badger said...

Good luck. I hope she's better soon - what a brave Grey Mare.

Omega Mum said...

All the best. I'm drinking to black, smelly pus and a full recovery asap.

James Higham said...

Now is this topic absolutely necessary, M and M?