Highs and Lows

And we are still at it.

Last night, the mare was doing well.  We really pushed food down her and she was beginning to look much better so, after this massive food drive, we left her at 04:00 to get some sleep.

Stupidly I thought we were out of the woods.  Idiot me.

I got a message later in the morning saying she was depressed again and had stopped eating and really this was it.  The End.

So Daisy and I dashed over, took one look and decided she needed quick energy and now. We had been given a recipe (thank you thank you thank you – you know who you are xxxx) that apparently helped so I begged and borrowed the ingredients, reckoned we had nothing to lose and we put the gunk down her.

Miracles of miracles, it worked and very well.

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Kind folk were sent to the furthest ends of Shetland for more ingredients and Lerwick now has no Complan, honey, glucose or porridge oats.

Recipe:

100g Complan
50g Glucose
3 tablespoons of runny honey
400ml of water
plus a couple of handfuls porridge oats

The idea is to get in 4,000 calories each day so that works out at 3 hourly feeds with unlimited anything else the mare wants.  Every time she gets depressed, I squirt Rescue Remedy in her mouth and that does wonders too.

She likes food that is fresh, little and often and I duly oblige by holding an old washing up bowl for her to pick at.  Freshly picked grass or mare and foal mix is the chosen food today.

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The vet came (as he was in the area) and agreed that whatever we were doing was obviously working.  He left us with this haemotology report and it is not pretty reading.  The mare’s temperature and heart rate are normal now but she is in some discomfort so he gave her an anti-inflammatory analgesic injection.

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This is my pile of iv fluids.

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And so we head back into the night and we will keep going.  We give her time to rest and sleep between bottles.  She needs that and then rallies and asks for food.

More vibes, peoples, please, more vibes.  This fat lady (me) ain’t singing yet.

14 thoughts on “Highs and Lows

  1. Rebecca Final

    Frances – you and Daisy are amazing and that is one lucky little pony to have you taking care of her. Strong vibes from here in Northern California.

    Reply
  2. SuthernGirl

    I am sending good vibes from North Carolina too. Keep the faith! Here’s hoping she pulls through and everyone can curl up for a long, well earned nap!

    Reply
  3. pat

    I hope your friends know how lucky they are to have you. All of us who are pulling for that little mare thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do. It also sounds as if you’ve got a good vet on the job…although I shudder to think of what that bill will be at the end of this.

    Is Complan a chocolate-flavored thing? It sounds a little like Ensure or PediaLyte (nutritional fluids that we have in the US)

    Healing thoughts and good vibes coming to you and her from Virginia.

    Reply
  4. Highmac

    Frances – I don’t know where you find the stamina to do the blog at the same time. Well done and more good thoughts from south of the border.

    Pat – you’ve said it well; taking the liberty on behalf of Frances, Complan is indeed a nutritional drink, but the website (hoping links are allowed here) will tell you far more:
    http://www.complan.com/what-is-complan/
    If it doesn’t just search for Complan.com

    Reply
  5. Bigears

    when vodka had it, the vet had her on complan, glucose, porridge oats – we also found that the hot mash from one of the feed suppliers was very palatable and they liked eating that in the recovery phase – will look it up for you

    Reply
  6. Sam

    Sending healing thoughts from Connecticut. You and Daisy and the vet and everyone else are doing am amazing job with this little lady.

    Reply
  7. Linda Addison

    Best healing vibes with sunshine from Dorset – you’re doing wonders with that little mare, you must be winning.

    Reply

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