Sick by a Nose

We're having problems with horse noses around here. Rather, with Buddy's nose. First off, his nose is sick. And secondly, his nose is extremely adept at sorting out medicine from food. I love this photo, but it is not mine. I found it here. You don't want to see Buddy's nose right now.

Buddy has pneumonia! He's on Banamine for three days to decrease the inflammation and help the antibiotic get where it needs to go. The antibiotic, Tucoprim, is a powder the consistency of flour. He'll be on it for ten days.

How can there be such a thing as sand colic when horses can sort pellets from dust? Buddy gets pelleted food, and he's able to sort the pellets out and leave the Tucoprim in a big pile. How can those lips be so agile?

Fortunately, I am slightly smarter than he is. I went out this morning and bought a bag of very sticky sweet feed. Mix the Tucoprim dust with that, and there's no sorting it out. Buddy made it all gone.

Horse camp is next week. I guess Lily will be taking Lucy, who will enjoy it whether or not Lily does.

We're hoping to see improvement in Buddy in the next few days. He's not bad BAD, but he's bad enough. No fever, but noisy lungs, discharge and coughing. So much for being healthy as a horse.

Comments

[I Gallop On]

That's when I buy those big gallon jars of applesauce at Sam's Club, get myself a big spoon, and mix up a yummy concoction of meds, grain, and sweet, irresistible apple sauce. Although one of my crafty mares can even work her way around that. At that point, I put applesauce and meds in a syringe and, well, you know what happens next ... ;-)

Pax. Kimberly

[Grey Horse Matters]

Poor Buddy, he must feel miserable. Applesauce is a good idea, we use it too, sometimes. Seems like you have it under control though, Hope Buddy feels better soon.

[Kat]

Awww, poor buddy. Sorry to hear that he's under the weather.

[BrownEyedCowgirls]

Poor Buddy! Poor Lily-it's hard on kids when their horses get sick, especially when she had something planned. Hope Buddy gets better quickly.

[Grey Horse Matters]

Stop by and pick up and award when you get the chance.

[gina armfield]

If the meds in the sweet feed don't work try this:

I use a dosing syringe (large plastic one with no needle) I add the powder along with warm water enough to shake into a paste and then I just insert t in the side of the mouth like wormer and squirt it in. This way I know that it all gets in.

[kathy]

I'm sorry Buddy is sick. At least she can still go to camp, Shyla's camp got canceled this year.

Hope he's feeling better soon.

[Callie]

Add a squeege of corn oil to help it stick to the grain and he won't miss a speck! It works for me!

[Victoria Cummings]

How did Buddy get pneumonia? I'm so sorry to read about that. And boy, do I know about horses that won't take their meds. Siete is like that and when she had Lyme Disease, I had to dose her for 30 days with a huge amount of doxy. I ended up with the big syringe, mixing the powder into vanilla yogurt with a little salt and some molasses. The salt cuts the bitterness in the meds. We eventually got to the point where she liked having it squirted into her mouth.

[lytha]

i just found your blog today.

i love that picture - is that a horse standing in a yard sprinkler? i would have loved to have seen that in real life.

i feel stupid admitting this, but i didn't know horses caught colds. my horse has never been sick, but one day he coughed while i was riding him. i jumped off and tried to figure out what he was choking on, but there was nothing there. i got back on, he coughed again. i noticed his nose was a little runny. i panicked, MY HORSE IS DYING! i called the vet and he came right out and said, "he has a cold." a cold!!???? horses get colds!!?? and he gave me sulfa drugs to give him. that did it, he was better in a few days. now i know: )

cool that your powder stuck to the sticky grain. i always use a syringe cuz it's the only way i feel sure it's in my horse (i don't have sticky grain) : )

i can only guess they get sandcolic from eating dirt *on purpose*. (or maybe tiny alfalfa leaves are just too tasty to leave in the dirt?)

~beth in Germany