A few people have been writing to my email account asking about Parlay. I know--I haven't been posting.
Things here seem to be stable. That is good.
Parlay is coasting along at about 54/26 most days. Even in the heat, he doesn't seem to be really struggling. He is eating. He looks pretty darned good, actually!
So, here is the protocol of the day for the *inquiring minds*
1/2 scoop of Agway Superior 12 pellets
1/2 scoop of Nutrena Compete pellets
1 cup of Purina's Natures Essentials 32 supplement
1 cup of Nutrena Empower Rice Bran Supplement
1/2 cup of Food Grade DE
He is getting this meal 2x a day, down from 4 times a day! Of course, they have hay in front of them at all times and Parlay is out on the grass no less than 5 times a week.
Parlay is still taking the CoQ10 supplement--1200 mg a day (spread out to 2 doses. Still doing the Doxycycline for Lyme's---40 pills a day. I am also giving Lasix as needed, but no less than 7 cc's every 24 hours. In the past couple of days, he has been getting it every 12 hours (it has been really hot and humid here and it seems to affect the way he is breathing). The paste did NOT work at all. Very unhappy about that--the IM shots seem to be the best route at this point.
I supplement electrolytes when I can. Parlay hates them.
I am going to start walking Parlay daily again, as he really needs some sort of activity. He is looking for trouble with all of this time on his hooves. He still is unclear about the "retirement," thing.
I took him out for a walk last night and he was prancing and tail flagging. So much for keeping him quiet!!
When it is really hot and humid, I shower Par when I can. It seems to help him chill out and for a horse who REALLY hated baths, Parlay truly seems appreciative of the cool water on him now! He even lets me squirt his HEAD! Who would have thought it??
The coronary abscesses seem to be healing and although his hooves look a bit atrophied from lack of use, they are holding up fine. The walking will help get the hooves back in order.
I am still doing research on CHF and thinking of other ways to help my old man heal. In between that I am working, mothering, cleaning, laundering, and trying to get a ride in every now and again on my other nags.
(sigh)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Sad and Angry
Yes, Parlay and I are a pair today.
My day started out rough. I woke from a weird dream about riding Parlay in a field hunt.
Parlay was his usual strong willed and strong bodied self in my dream. There was a huge, striking Bay galloping in front of us and Parlay just HAD to get in front of him... So, like always, he was muscling his way up to the front of the pack, totally unimpressed with my feeble attempts to reel him in.
And then it happened.
Parlay started to slow up before he caught the leader---I thought I was winning the "whoa!" battle, but no--it was more like the wind got knocked out of him and he started to fall and we were tumbling down what felt like a steep slope and I saw the ground coming fast...
And then I woke up with a start. Not a great way to start the day.
Of course, I throw on a pair of jeans and run out there immediately. The three jugheads turn my way and give me the look of pleased curiosity. Breakfast comes early...
While they are eating, I do my usual once over of Par. Pulse 50, resp 24. Not awful, I guess. He is eating nicely. I check over all of his *parts*. Everything looks okay. I am still nursing a bunch of abscesses that appeared on his coronary bands a couple of days ago. They are covered in neon pink SWAT. Lovely.
I give him a quick once over with a brush and step back to get the fly spray. I look him over and question what I see. Parlay is not looking so thin anymore (4 meals a day will do that), yet I still see the shadow of his ribs. But, what really draws my attention is his belly. It seems "puffy." Like, bloated maybe. Like, something I should be worried about...maybe. So, I decide to take a picture of it and forward it to the vet.
I stand there and try to get Parlay to pose. In order for him to look at me and maybe prick his ears, I throw the brush that I am holding up into the air. It promptly comes soaring back from the atmosphere and smacks me right in the head. I almost fall to the ground. Good grief, I almost knocked myself out!
Parlay snickered. Drat!
I send the pic and wait for a reply. Nothing. So, I quickly decide to boost the Lasix. It is supposed to be hot anyway and I don't want him having to struggle to breathe. After the Lasix shot, I jamb some Doxy down his gullet. Parlay snarls at me and gives me the *look*. Fine. I have to get the kid to camp and me to work anyway.
On my drive, my son and I are talking about friendship and love. He asks me who my best friend is, after him of course, and I immediately respond, "Parlay." It just came out. And then, so did the tears.
Parlay IS my best friend, after all. I used to whisper it into his ear when we were riding with my dog, Frisko, so it wouldn't hurt the dog's feelings. I used to tell him when I was out at the barn late at night disclosing the days events. I told him when we were out at our last event and he was so feisty and proud of himself.
For as long as we have been together, it seems like the time is too short now. I stand with him outside and he sighs as I scratch him in his favorite spots. I chastise him for beating up his pasture mates. I lecture him about eating properly. I beg him to get better. I listen for any advice that he cares to impart...
Tonight Parlay was crabby. He attacked his food pail and ate aggressively. I took the vitals and they were all in line with the previous ones. He was impatient with my exam and annoyed that I was taking too long to get him out to the hay.
What is he trying to tell me? Is he angry that I am sad? It all seems so unfair.
My day started out rough. I woke from a weird dream about riding Parlay in a field hunt.
Parlay was his usual strong willed and strong bodied self in my dream. There was a huge, striking Bay galloping in front of us and Parlay just HAD to get in front of him... So, like always, he was muscling his way up to the front of the pack, totally unimpressed with my feeble attempts to reel him in.
And then it happened.
Parlay started to slow up before he caught the leader---I thought I was winning the "whoa!" battle, but no--it was more like the wind got knocked out of him and he started to fall and we were tumbling down what felt like a steep slope and I saw the ground coming fast...
And then I woke up with a start. Not a great way to start the day.
Of course, I throw on a pair of jeans and run out there immediately. The three jugheads turn my way and give me the look of pleased curiosity. Breakfast comes early...
While they are eating, I do my usual once over of Par. Pulse 50, resp 24. Not awful, I guess. He is eating nicely. I check over all of his *parts*. Everything looks okay. I am still nursing a bunch of abscesses that appeared on his coronary bands a couple of days ago. They are covered in neon pink SWAT. Lovely.
I give him a quick once over with a brush and step back to get the fly spray. I look him over and question what I see. Parlay is not looking so thin anymore (4 meals a day will do that), yet I still see the shadow of his ribs. But, what really draws my attention is his belly. It seems "puffy." Like, bloated maybe. Like, something I should be worried about...maybe. So, I decide to take a picture of it and forward it to the vet.
I stand there and try to get Parlay to pose. In order for him to look at me and maybe prick his ears, I throw the brush that I am holding up into the air. It promptly comes soaring back from the atmosphere and smacks me right in the head. I almost fall to the ground. Good grief, I almost knocked myself out!
Parlay snickered. Drat!
I send the pic and wait for a reply. Nothing. So, I quickly decide to boost the Lasix. It is supposed to be hot anyway and I don't want him having to struggle to breathe. After the Lasix shot, I jamb some Doxy down his gullet. Parlay snarls at me and gives me the *look*. Fine. I have to get the kid to camp and me to work anyway.
On my drive, my son and I are talking about friendship and love. He asks me who my best friend is, after him of course, and I immediately respond, "Parlay." It just came out. And then, so did the tears.
Parlay IS my best friend, after all. I used to whisper it into his ear when we were riding with my dog, Frisko, so it wouldn't hurt the dog's feelings. I used to tell him when I was out at the barn late at night disclosing the days events. I told him when we were out at our last event and he was so feisty and proud of himself.
For as long as we have been together, it seems like the time is too short now. I stand with him outside and he sighs as I scratch him in his favorite spots. I chastise him for beating up his pasture mates. I lecture him about eating properly. I beg him to get better. I listen for any advice that he cares to impart...
Tonight Parlay was crabby. He attacked his food pail and ate aggressively. I took the vitals and they were all in line with the previous ones. He was impatient with my exam and annoyed that I was taking too long to get him out to the hay.
What is he trying to tell me? Is he angry that I am sad? It all seems so unfair.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Not Looking Forward to Tomorrow
It is going to be HOT and HUMID--
Not the best type of weather for a horse with breathing problems. Or heart problems.
Friends who have horses with COPD are already noticing the breathing issues. Out comes the heavy duty drugs and steroids. I cannot use that stuff with Parlay. He is already maxed out on Lasix and Tri-Hist and Doxycycline. Steroids are not the best course of action for heart patients anyway.
At this point, I am thinking that the best way to help him in high heat and humidity is to nebulize with Albuterol (2x) along with everything else. I hope it helps. I may try to hose him off a couple of times during the day too. Thank goodness I am working locally tomorrow!!
As it is, the change in the weather has made him stop eating AGAIN. I just think that the humidity (not hot here yet) is just making him feel "heavy."
I understand.
If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know!
Not the best type of weather for a horse with breathing problems. Or heart problems.
Friends who have horses with COPD are already noticing the breathing issues. Out comes the heavy duty drugs and steroids. I cannot use that stuff with Parlay. He is already maxed out on Lasix and Tri-Hist and Doxycycline. Steroids are not the best course of action for heart patients anyway.
At this point, I am thinking that the best way to help him in high heat and humidity is to nebulize with Albuterol (2x) along with everything else. I hope it helps. I may try to hose him off a couple of times during the day too. Thank goodness I am working locally tomorrow!!
As it is, the change in the weather has made him stop eating AGAIN. I just think that the humidity (not hot here yet) is just making him feel "heavy."
I understand.
If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Too Good to Last
Yeah, my vet stopped by today to check on the old man. I was kind of puffed up about his vital signs from last night and this morning, so I was happy that she was going to view his "turnaround!"
(sigh) It was not to be.
She says that although he seemed cheerful and was happy to have food, he was at 60/60. DAMMIT! Thank God it is not hot and sunny out too, because I am 30 minutes away, chained to my desk!!
I asked her to go ahead and give him 6-7 cc's of Lasix and I would follow up when I got home from work.
So much for turning my frown upside down.
=-(
(sigh) It was not to be.
She says that although he seemed cheerful and was happy to have food, he was at 60/60. DAMMIT! Thank God it is not hot and sunny out too, because I am 30 minutes away, chained to my desk!!
I asked her to go ahead and give him 6-7 cc's of Lasix and I would follow up when I got home from work.
So much for turning my frown upside down.
=-(
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
And Then, Something Weird Happens...
Like, you run out to feed, almost fearing what you will find, and then your jaw drops because the metabolics are...
LOW??
48/22
What?? And the sun is down and EVERYTHING.
This is day 4 of the Doxycycline. I have not given any Lasix today (except what is residual in the bucket from the last 3 combined feedings)
I am so stunned--- I am speechless.
So, I am going to say nothing else for now, except to utter, "Thank you, God!"
=-)
LOW??
48/22
What?? And the sun is down and EVERYTHING.
This is day 4 of the Doxycycline. I have not given any Lasix today (except what is residual in the bucket from the last 3 combined feedings)
I am so stunned--- I am speechless.
So, I am going to say nothing else for now, except to utter, "Thank you, God!"
=-)
It's ALWAYS Worse At Night!
Why is it?
Why, after a long day of being a Mom and a Full Time Employee, along with the weight of worrying about EVERYTHING, do I have to deal with the worst symptoms that Parlay has to offer at NIGHT??
On top of everything else going on, I am now seriously sleep deprived. Why? Because when I have gone out to feed the boys for the past 3 nights, Parlay has been in distress. Pulse 60, Respiration ranging from 25-38+. And the coughing. And the bloody noses. And the ANXIETY--it is written all over his face and body.
I guess I would be anxious too. Imagine what it must feel like if you were desperately trying to breathe-- yet you were limited to breathing in and out through a straw-- all the while your heart pounding away to get your blood oxygenated...ARGH!!
I have determined that the Paste Lasix is just not working at all. I think that trying it may have put Parlay in a down spiral.
I think that the dosage is wrong. Although it is written on the tube that the amount of lasix per dose is higher than the injectable, it comes out of the tube wrong--it's not thick enough to stay put which leads to overdosing at one instance and then, not giving enough at the next. Either that, or the stuff just does not preform when orally given. Maybe it's a combination of both of these facts. In any event, I am giving up on the paste. As much as I hate to do it, the injectable formulation seems to be the way to go.
Of course, with Parlay's stress comes anorexia. No, not mine (God knows that I have GAINED weight trying to put weight back ON him!!) Parlay is pretty much back to not eating. Not really even eating the grass. What a sin too, because I was just getting the weight back on. So? Is it the Lasix, or lack thereof? Is it his belly bothering him? The antibiotics? Is it the supplement addition to the grain feedings? Is it a Parlay thing?
It has been a tough couple of nights. =-(
Today, Parlay seems pretty calm. He hasn't eaten much, but his eye is soft and although he is breathing quickly, it is not with enormous effort. His heart beat is also a bit rapid, but rhythmic and not pounding.
What has changed? Well, the sun is still out...
Why, after a long day of being a Mom and a Full Time Employee, along with the weight of worrying about EVERYTHING, do I have to deal with the worst symptoms that Parlay has to offer at NIGHT??
On top of everything else going on, I am now seriously sleep deprived. Why? Because when I have gone out to feed the boys for the past 3 nights, Parlay has been in distress. Pulse 60, Respiration ranging from 25-38+. And the coughing. And the bloody noses. And the ANXIETY--it is written all over his face and body.
I guess I would be anxious too. Imagine what it must feel like if you were desperately trying to breathe-- yet you were limited to breathing in and out through a straw-- all the while your heart pounding away to get your blood oxygenated...ARGH!!
I have determined that the Paste Lasix is just not working at all. I think that trying it may have put Parlay in a down spiral.
I think that the dosage is wrong. Although it is written on the tube that the amount of lasix per dose is higher than the injectable, it comes out of the tube wrong--it's not thick enough to stay put which leads to overdosing at one instance and then, not giving enough at the next. Either that, or the stuff just does not preform when orally given. Maybe it's a combination of both of these facts. In any event, I am giving up on the paste. As much as I hate to do it, the injectable formulation seems to be the way to go.
Of course, with Parlay's stress comes anorexia. No, not mine (God knows that I have GAINED weight trying to put weight back ON him!!) Parlay is pretty much back to not eating. Not really even eating the grass. What a sin too, because I was just getting the weight back on. So? Is it the Lasix, or lack thereof? Is it his belly bothering him? The antibiotics? Is it the supplement addition to the grain feedings? Is it a Parlay thing?
It has been a tough couple of nights. =-(
Today, Parlay seems pretty calm. He hasn't eaten much, but his eye is soft and although he is breathing quickly, it is not with enormous effort. His heart beat is also a bit rapid, but rhythmic and not pounding.
What has changed? Well, the sun is still out...
Sunday, August 2, 2009
They Keep Coming Back to Me
The words and thoughts from Vicki.
Whether you are a believer in intuitives or not (and God knows, I am still on the fence about it) I think that just speaking with Vicki has helped me to focus on things that I already may have known and may not have been putting together.
And here is where I am today.
The parasite. The problems associated with parasites. The idea that it was NOT an ingested parasite. A fly? A gnat?
My most hated parasite? The tick. The nasty blood-sucking vermin that I loathe above all others.
Parlay has always been allergic to tick bites. The reactions get worse each year, as appears to be customary with most allergies. The result of a tick bite on Parlay leaves an itchy, oozing, painful sore that will eventually turn to a large area of missing hair.
Back in 2006 Parlay had a really bad reaction to multiple tick bites in one area of his chest (Cursed blankets!) After a few weeks of conventional treatment with cold hosing and dressing the wounds, something else came about-- weird lameness issues, a very cranky attitude, highly sensitive skin, and finally, a bout of laminitis. It was so weird and uncharacteristic!
A blood test confirmed what I suspected immediately. Parlay was diagnosed with Lyme's Disease with Elisa value of 413 and Western Blot listed as HIGH. We aggressively treated with 6 weeks of Doxycycline. A huge difference was seen almost immediately.
Parlay has had two recurrences that we have treated with Doxy since then. Each new bout of Lyme's being "announced," by different symptoms. The first reinfection seemed to bring on another round of odd lameness---one leg off, then another, back to being touchy about being handled and girthed. The second relapse found Parlay post-legged lame in all four legs--it was a HORRIBLE sight!
This morning, after a difficult 12 hours of VERY HIGH P&R (60/40 and above), an agitated and cranky horse and a relatively unsteady walk off from a standstill, I made the association. I ran in to my computer and did a Google search for Lymes related congestive heart failure. My screen filled up with articles and medical papers.
Of course there could be a correlation. Lyme's is one of the nastiest diseases around and there is really so little known about the symptoms. I texted the vet. There is no harm in trying a course of Doxycycline, so off we go.
You can hope and you can pray, but in the end you need to THINK and LISTEN to what the universe is saying in answer to your prayers. Maybe this is a breakthrough?
That is MY prayer today.
Whether you are a believer in intuitives or not (and God knows, I am still on the fence about it) I think that just speaking with Vicki has helped me to focus on things that I already may have known and may not have been putting together.
And here is where I am today.
The parasite. The problems associated with parasites. The idea that it was NOT an ingested parasite. A fly? A gnat?
My most hated parasite? The tick. The nasty blood-sucking vermin that I loathe above all others.
Parlay has always been allergic to tick bites. The reactions get worse each year, as appears to be customary with most allergies. The result of a tick bite on Parlay leaves an itchy, oozing, painful sore that will eventually turn to a large area of missing hair.
Back in 2006 Parlay had a really bad reaction to multiple tick bites in one area of his chest (Cursed blankets!) After a few weeks of conventional treatment with cold hosing and dressing the wounds, something else came about-- weird lameness issues, a very cranky attitude, highly sensitive skin, and finally, a bout of laminitis. It was so weird and uncharacteristic!
A blood test confirmed what I suspected immediately. Parlay was diagnosed with Lyme's Disease with Elisa value of 413 and Western Blot listed as HIGH. We aggressively treated with 6 weeks of Doxycycline. A huge difference was seen almost immediately.
Parlay has had two recurrences that we have treated with Doxy since then. Each new bout of Lyme's being "announced," by different symptoms. The first reinfection seemed to bring on another round of odd lameness---one leg off, then another, back to being touchy about being handled and girthed. The second relapse found Parlay post-legged lame in all four legs--it was a HORRIBLE sight!
This morning, after a difficult 12 hours of VERY HIGH P&R (60/40 and above), an agitated and cranky horse and a relatively unsteady walk off from a standstill, I made the association. I ran in to my computer and did a Google search for Lymes related congestive heart failure. My screen filled up with articles and medical papers.
Of course there could be a correlation. Lyme's is one of the nastiest diseases around and there is really so little known about the symptoms. I texted the vet. There is no harm in trying a course of Doxycycline, so off we go.
You can hope and you can pray, but in the end you need to THINK and LISTEN to what the universe is saying in answer to your prayers. Maybe this is a breakthrough?
That is MY prayer today.
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