Alita's Story

Week Three

June 16th-22nd

Setbacks

    Well, this week did not start out as well as we had hoped. Alita has decided that she was getting out of her stall and early this morning we found the stall door on the ground with broken hinges and Alita was in the paddock. I knew staying in a stall was hard for her however I guess I didn’t know exactly how hard. We fixed the door and got it back up and then re-enforced it. Then when I knew it was ready Alita was put back in her stall.

  That night Alita received her second to last shot of 20 cc’s f Batrol. It was hard finding a vein for her shot as they have gotten weak from the strong drug. It took 4 tries to find a vein and then we finally got it. Alita was happy we had finally found it as well. It made me sick to have to poke her more than once. Hopefully tomorrow will be easier.

  The following morning Alita really did not do herself any good. When I went to feed that morning she had chewed her bandage totally off and the flies were all over her open wound! I rushed to the house grabbed the med supplies which we had placed in a basket and rushed back our to clean her wound.

  I flushed it with plenty of warm water and took off all the old flesh and discharge that I could. It also looked as if she had tried to bite at it. Once I was sure it was cleaned out again I put the Nolvasan Ointment on the gauze pad, then the Gauze roll, cotton dressing, a roll of vet wrap and the med tape.

  I watched her closely for the next few days and she seemed to be getting worse at using her leg. She would throw herself forward by gathering her back legs under her every time she moved putting stress on her opposite front leg. We then began to wrap her opposite leg with a support boot for a little more stability. I called the vet and let him know that we were getting worried and she seemed to be taking steps backwards. He told me he could see her in two days.

  Unfortunately, our baby had an appointment at the hospital for tests on that day. I wanted to get Alita to the vet however I needed to keep this appointment for the baby. Luckily a friend of mine, named Kim, whom had been with me through a lot with me over the past several months volunteered to take Alita so we could keep our appointment. The plan was to pick up the vets stock trailer and meet her back at the house, load Alita and then I could leave for the hospital with the baby. Then later that day I would borrow a friends trailer and pick her up that night if the vet said it was OK.

  Alita hopped all the way to the trailer and reared when we tried to get her in. Something she had not done before. I think she knew she had to use her leg at least slightly to get into the trailer. We tried everything we could think of and she wouldn’t go in. Kim was afraid to get too close behind her so she picked up a few small rocks and tossed them at her rump. That did the trick as Alita stepped forward and then finally into the trailer. We turned her around to take the pressure off her front legs, tied her, shut the door and Kim and her son were off with her. I ordered a neck cradle for her and had it shipped 24 hour delivery so we would have it the following day.

  Later that day I called and the vet said that there was nothing he could do at the time and we should just take her home. He had sedated her and cleaned out her wound again and that was all he could do for now. I asked if I could bring a friend to see her when I picked her up and they said yes. I then called a friend that is a photographer and animal communicator. I asked her if she could go with me to see Alita and talk to her for me to see how she was doing. She agreed and several other people wanted to come by for support for Alita and to watch the healing session.

  Because the clinic was closed they would only allow my friend Diana and I back to see her. Everyone else had to watch from the fence. I brought my video tape so we could tape the experience. Diana began by listening and conveying to me what Alita was saying to her. She told her how the accident had happened and that she was sorry for causing so much trouble. She also sad she was mad at herself for letting it go this far. Alita was also worried about the foal she is carrying.

  Then Diana proceeded to go in and lay her hands all over Alita’s body. Feeling down her legs and her back. Concentrating on the areas that were troubling Alita as she asked her to bear weight on her knee. Slowly Alita seemed to perk up and she leaned slightly into her bad leg. This was a good sign! Even the vet staff was amazed. Alita took several deep breaths as if to be relaxing during the session and she responded to Diana’s touch.

  The session lasted about 30 minutes and Alita looked much better when we had left. She seemed more alert and yet relaxed. I thanked Diana for coming and ran to get the trailer down the road and take Alita home. She didn’t have any problems getting back in the trailer and we headed back home. Once there she hobbled to her stall, now the smaller 10x12 stall to limit her movements even more and allow her knee to heal. That night she got her last Batrol IV shot and then we were back on 30 SMZ a day.

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