Wyoming's Vet Check...

We had already planned on taking a walk at the wildlife area, so we did. It was a week day so nobody was there. We walked the parking lot, checked out the hitching post, and walked quite a ways down one of the trails and back. It was his first real outing and he did great!

He just knows he can untie himself if I would just turn around long enough. :-)



Wy checks out the sign.



I was really looking forward to getting to ride out here very soon....until he got a lump under his jaw. We paid the vet a visit and wouldn't you know it...he has strangles! WHAT? I have NEVER had a horse with strangles but I knew it was contagious and quarantine was in the very near future. Ugh!

His small lump turned into a big swollen lump, then it blew out and was oozing. It happened quickly too! DARN DARN DARN!!!!! The vet did not even unload him - she just looked at it, gave me one of those "I am sorry smiles" and said it was a classic case of strangles. She said we could do a culture to make sure, but she was positive. CRUD! Okay, I am hormonal anyways, am very excited about putting some riding time on Wy and taking him to his adopter, who has been patiently waiting, and I am told he has a very contagious thing going on and will need to be isolated. I was fine while I was there....but had a frustrated cry later.
One of my main questions was "Why now?" They are the newest ones here, so it isn't the classic case of 2-3 weeks after introducing someone new. No other horses have been around, we have not been anywhere except the adoption in March (I think it was March), so why now?
Answer - this stuff can lie dormant for a while. Many horses might be carriers and never do anything about it, others just might. One thing that can trigger it is stress. On top of being hauled around, he was gelded, and he has been in training...not that I would call it hard training, but to him it might be more stressful than I thought.

Here is his 'isolation field', and let me tell you what, he is not happy about being by himself even tho he can see the others, and the others are not happy about him getting to be on the grass! They are all saying "Yeah right, sick, whatever!"



There is a good distance between him and the others. We spent a lot of time cleaning what we could think of, the halter I am using on him is just his now, his feed pan is just his now...it is amazing what things you don't think about. Now I just hope that nobody else gets it, especially Batman.
This stuff just has to run it's course, and it is our job to keep the wound flushed. I tried to do it myself the day we got home, and holy toledo, it was work! I had to stick the end of a syringe into the hole and flush it. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER! I got it as good as I could but took a beating. Brian will be helping me from now on. He is so good at that kind of stuff and it is less stressful on Wy. Thank you baby!!! :-)
The swelling is going down quickly, altho there is still a hard knot.

Takes 2-3 weeks for the wound/jaw to heal, then the 'stuff' can hang around in little pockets, so we are looking at 2 months of isolation. Luckily he has not shown any signs of fatigue, etc.....he is just his normal self. The vet said to give him about a week off since that thing blew, and then I can start messing with him again. So we will still get riding time in, just not where I wanted for a while.

So there you have it...

Until later...Karen and Tripp who hopes he did not get any 'stuff' on him. :-)