Vet Visit

www.noklestad.se - our veterinary
Helene our veterinary was out to look at Milva this afternoon and it doesn´t look good.
Helene looked at her in the ridinghouse. First I walked with Milva on straight lines and small circles after that in trott online and on liberty.
Well the result was that Milva is sore on all four legs. Helene gave her anti-inflamatory intravenous and I picked up a bottle of Metacam for her at the pharmacy which she has to take now for four days.
Milva has to go on a strict diet now to loose some weight - or actually alots of weight. She has tendency to laminitis. She doesn´t have it yet but if she stays that fat and keeps eating like that she can get it any time. Helene could feel the puls in all four feed though.
Helene tried to messure her weight but the weightband was too short which means she has over 620kg, probably more like 650kg.
Helene suggested to put her on stablerest and have her in a box instead of the turnout. Which I didn´t like. We discussed the probability of a mouthbasket instead and taking it off three times a day so she can eat. It would have been a possibility but I can already picture Milva turning into a firebreeding dragon - I truly believe she is related to dragons sometimes.
I believe the important thing is to keep her outside with the herd so she can socialise with the other horses and be a horse. It is not natural to have a horse stabled and it is against their nature.
Another solution I thought of would have been to rent the pasture behind our pasture. There is a little shed in the pasture which Shawn could have fixed up. I thought about asking Marie to have Paulina there or Anita to have Orkan there or simple buy a second horse.
Anyway all that was not necessery because of Milva´s mother in law - Anita. God bless her!
When I gave Anita a call - after Helene left, she suggested right away to take out all the haywrap and instead feeding the horses 3 x a day. I discussed the whole situation with Malin and she agreed with it too. Anita called two of the other owners and I gave Marie a call. Luckily everyone agreed to do it that way - thanks to Anita I think.
Of course it´s going to be much more work for us because I want to keep Malin out of it as much as possible. She has so much to do already and the extra load of work is because of me and Milva.
Helene also checked her back and Milva gave her the dragon look. Helene said though that she is not sore it´s just that Milva doesn´t like to be punched up on the back.
The last thing Helene checked was the hooves. I told her about the pediatric I´m using now. Well - Helene did not like the trimming and said that´s another reason why Milva is sore in all four legs - a little bit more on the left front than the others. She explained to me why the trimming was not good and I got the point. Which brings me back to the traditional ferrier we have in the stable. Helene said though that Milva´s hooves are very good and she won´t need any shoes.
Bottom line of the day - strict died for Milva and for me as well. Taking it easy with the next few days. When she is better I can play again with her on the ground and no riding in the next four weeks - which is perfectly fine with me. I don´t feel much for riding now anyway.
If she doesn not get better or get worse in the next few days I have to call Helene again and she will check her hooves again.
Cross your fingers now that she will be alright!
I feel really bad when I think about our last playsessions and I made her trott :(.
Milva is way too nice. She is still doing all the things I ask her even though she is in pain! My poor baby!!!
Off to the stable early tomorrow to feed our ponies. I took all the morning feeding times until next wednesday - and lunchfeeding as well. Hopefully the other ones can write them up for the evenings.
Let´s hope Milva will feel better tomorrow!!!