Monday, August 18, 2008

Hades has frozen over...well, not really...

It sure feels like it though....It was 97 degrees when I got home. It's now 68 degrees and raining. The horses are all hanging out in the barn, trying to look pitiful.

I went out to feed and in several places in Shyanna's run, there are huge splashes of dried blood! On the handle for the frost free faucet...in her grain tub, ALL OVER the down spout for the gutters. It looked like someone have slaughtered a pig! There was blood sprayed all over the side of the barn.

She has dried blood on her lower legs and on her side. I looked her over for about 15 minutes, looking for the gaping wound. I mean, what else would account for all the blood.

There was not a nick on her anywhere. I went into panic mode, thinking perhaps it was Joy. Not a scratch.

I got the halter on Shyanna, who was happily munching her evening grain and none too please at being pulled away. On closer inspection, I determined that she had a bloody nose. Not from a cut or a scratch...a REAL bloody nose, from somewhere higher than I could see or reach with my fingers.

There were huge blood boogers in one nostril, but it was dried. No draining or dripping. The only thing I came up with is that it was so hot and so dry, that she just got a bloody nose and the spray (which is all over the barn, thank you very much) was from her snorting and blowing, trying to clear her nose.

I have NEVER had this happen to my horses before, and I've never heard of it happening to anyone else's.

5 comments:

ORSunshine said...

It sure is scary to see a lot of blood, isn't it? I came home once to what looked like a ton of blood everywhere in my bedroom. Up walls, on windows, big gobs on the sheets. Dogs looked ok, cats looked ok so I started thinking someone had come in uninvited and that the dogs had ushered back out. Later that evening, I discovered that one of my dogs had broke a nail. Mystery solved!

I've heard of bloody noses in horses after they've hit their head. In that case, you usually have to call the vet ASAP as it can be very, very bad. I've had dogs and cats get bloody noses, but that's usually when I'm supplementing Omega 3's for something like arthritis or asthma. A bloody nose signals the dose is too high and needs to be backed off some.

Cooler weather will be setting in soon along with the rain. Hope your baby starts feeling better soon.

PS Are we on a count down for Joy yet?

hope4more said...

Wow that would be something to come home to. I have only seen and heard of the bloody nose thing like orsunshine, a hitting head episode. The only time I have seen it is when a reining trainer was going down the arena for a sliding stop and when asked for it the horse went up and over landing on the trainer and smashing it's head on the ground. It got up and there was blood coming out it's ears and nose, the vet was immediately called out and the horse was X-rayed and throughly checked over. That was SCARY!

I hope all is okay for now and nothing major happened.

Yes, I was going to ask about Joy as well.

Karen V said...

Shawna was supposed to come get Joy a couple weeks ago, so I wouldn’t have to be there. Shortly after that arrangement was made, Shawna and her rescue, SOSEquine, were involved in a seizure of 29 horses. That was on top of a rescue she did involving 20 or so yearlings. So she is maxed out in the time and energy department. I’ll talk with Cathy this weekend to decide what exactly we’re going to do and when we’re going to do it.

I’m heading to Seattle on Thursday night for a VERY busy weekend. The vet is coming to check Honey, my TB mare that has been hanging out with Cathy all summer. Honey has an old ankle injury from her time on the track. It’s very likely that she still has a chip in there. I haven’t done anything about it because she’s not working very hard, though I do feel that it bothers her in deeper ground. Anyway, Cathy noticed a couple weeks ago that she was “ouchy” so I sent some stuff over for Honey. Cathy thought maybe she had a stifle thing going on. Anyway, the vet is coming out Friday morning to check her, and unless she’s REALLY lame, Cathy will show her on Saturday.

So, our schedule is that we’ll meet with the vet Friday morning, then Cathy is going to ride with me down to Portland. (I’m hauling two horses down for a friend of mine) Then, on the way back, we’re picking up Bullwinkle, VLC’s colt and going back to Cathy’s. On Saturday, we’re going to the show and Honey should be done by noon. We’ll go back to Cathy’s, pick up Heddy and Bullwinkle, then I’ll come home.

Bullwinkle is staying at my house for a week, then I’m going to deliver him over to Boise, ID to his new owner.

I noticed this morning that Shyanna’s nose had bled a little in the night. More than one person had suggested that she’s hit her head somehow, but I can’t figure out where she would/could have done it. There is hot tape on all the wood posts, and down spouts on the two corners of the barn. They were totally intact.

ORSunshine said...

Maybe it was on the barn itself? Reacting to a fly that bit her and just whacked it? Charlie skinned his forehead in his stall the other day and I can't figure out how he did that either.

I get bloody noses when the weather is really dry. Alaska was bad for me, especially in the winter. Maybe that's what happened with her?

Ok Karen, what are your favorite joint supplements for horses? My Charlie is creaky and you seem to like the holistic approach. What do you recommend besides Cosamin, which I can't even afford for my own joints (or am too cheap to buy).

Karen V said...

I've used several over the years.
My favorite (which is too expensive for me to feed all 6 of my horses) is Necessity with Glucosamine and MSM.

I like Fluid Flex Joint. You can get it in quart size. Realistically, it works out to be just as expensive as the Necessity, but because I buy in smaller bottle, it's easier to get.

I just bought a powder for Honey, but I can't remember what brand. Has Glucosamine and MSM, white tub with orange lid.

Silver Lining Herbs has all natural combinations for just about every issue. It comes in a one pound foil bag, costs around $50, and last 55 - 60 days. I'm slowly changing over to SLH for everything - worming, allergies, hoof growth... I use a distributor named Selinda Journey, who has been using SLH on her own horses for like 10 years. her contact info is: Seliinda79@msn.com or 805-674-0290. Very knowledgeable and helpful

BTB Hoof by Emerald Valley Equine (online) is good. I saw results with my old granny mare, C-Bay. (The "BTB" stand for Better Than Bute)