Thursday, August 14, 2014

And then Josie broke her foot

No joke.

Josie, the appaloosa, who'd been on stall rest for a relatively minor, and NEARLY HEALED,  suspensory injury in her right hind leg, got frustrated yesterday and kicked her stall wall with said leg.

I heard the impact inside the house. The house is not particularly close to the barn.

As always when I hear loud, unexplained noises coming from the direction of the barn, I went out to investigate and there she was, back on three legs. Somehow I knew this time was different. She was in much more obvious pain and distress than before.

The vet came out and said, Yep, broken foot. I don't even need to take a picture. I can feel it. 

The coffin bone for anybody who might wonder.

We're looking at weeks and weeks of rehabilitation time. Stall rest, daily hoof wraps, meds, etc.. The biggest worry is the foot she's still standing on - the left hind. (For those who might not follow horse stuff, they're not designed to stand on less than four legs for any length of time. To do so can cause serious problems in the weight-bearing feet).  But the vet says absolutely no standing or moving around on the broken right foot while the break is fresh for fear the bone will splinter further. This means 2-3 weeks before we can do anything for the weight-bearing left foot, like put any kind of supportive boot or shoe on it, or even pick it up.

I am a little sick to my stomach about the whole thing.

Breathe.

On the up side, the lambs seem to have truly turned a corner. And I am now an expert on sheep parasites and treatments. Not. But, I know a lot more than I did a month ago.


3 comments:

  1. So how are you going to keep her from setting down the broken foot? At least it's a back foot. I believe the extra weight the front legs carry is where you have the most trouble with the other foot/leg.

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  2. Oh, no. All of us out here in Blogland need to combine our efforts to create a wind to blow that black cloud away that has been hovering over your place! So sorry this happened. Hang in there.

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  3. Heck - I'm with Mama Pea on this one. If it's not one thing, it's t'other, as my farmer neighbor would say. Are you going to be able to keep her off of it long enough? Man, oh, man. That's a tough one. I am glad, however, that your lambs are in the clear. One catastrophy at a time is more than anyone should have to handle. Wish I lived closer. Don't know what I could do, but I could help you worry...

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