Working on "THE PLAN"

Today was a weird day for Parlay. His P&R were on the high side (58/22) and he had the bloody nose trickle. (which is TOTALLY perplexing because honestly, it's only the right nostril (and always has been) and I never know when he will have one--I can't seem to find the trigger!)

I gave 4 cc's of Lasix IV and then had to resort to IM because I could not seem to keep the needle in the vein. =-( Parlay was pretty agitated in general, so having him bounce around makes him a bit of a moving target!

He has gotten 3 meals today so far and I plan to give him one more before I go to bed. Interestingly, he already appears to be a bit less ribby from just 3 days on this plan of "molasses-free-many-meals." I am trying to work him up to about 10 lbs a day of the 12% pellet, along with hay, grass, and a multitude of treats. This is actually DOWN from what he USED to eat, which was as much as 12 lbs of Senior over the course of a day (I told you he was a hard keeper!!)

I decided to start to add corn oil tonight. It's a bit risky, I know, but he really needs those calories! A friend sent me an interesting article on picky eaters and I may try a couple of the ideas listed, such as using teas for flavoring (masking), adding some different herbs for variety and to stop trying so hard.

The other part of my *plan* is in full swing... that is the supplementation of the CoQ10. I have yet to find the appropriate dosage for a horse online or from a vet, but I am going to go with what my own doctor prescribed for me, and that would be about 1.5 mg per lb. I am going to continue upping the dosage until I hit about 1200 mg per day. So far, so good with the Entenmann's Bars. Highly recommend!

I also decided to hold off on the hawthorn supplement for the moment---I want to see how one thing works at a time and the CoQ10 is my main focus. At this point, it appears that God is giving me a little leeway to play with my treatment plan, so I am going to take advantage of it and space things out.

One thing that has been working like a charm is Horse Quencher. Thank Heaven for that stuff (Heaven and HARRY that is, who donated about 4 tubs of it to the cause--THANK YOU!!) I have been giving about 4 gallons of the mix and have taken to adding "Apple a Day," electrolyte and FatCat supplement to it. Parlay loves his afternoon tea. I get such a feeling of satisfaction when he slurps it down. I am probably going to keep on adding stuff to it as long as he keeps on drinking it! My next additive will probably be some additional rice bran. I am also toying with the idea of adding beet pulp shreds and eventually turning it into a mash of sorts.

The extra fluid and calories along with the replacement electrolytes can't be anything but good, so I am pleased with how that is working out.

I am hoping that the humidity dies down a bit. I am sure that it is making breathing a bit more of a challenge for my boy. I inquired about better dosages of albuterol to nebulize, but of course, I am not sure that the nebulizing does very much for him anyway. I would really have to do it consistently to assess that---right now, I am doing it when he appears to be struggling for breath (like heaving) but that has been pretty infrequent. More often I see him breathing rapidly in short, shallow breaths when he is distressed.

Of course, PARLAY doesn't think he is distressed. He is LOVING all of the attention, that is for sure!!

It's the Molasses!

Who would have thought?

It appears that the hunger strike *may* be over!!

For whatever reason, Parlay has decided that he doesn't want molasses. Maybe it is some sort of weird reaction from the Lasix?? Who knows-- but he seems to be much more interested in any feed or treat that does NOT contain molasses, so I am eliminating it from everything.

Sooooo... over the next couple of days/weeks I am going to try and get Parlay plumped up a bit with regular 'ole pellets. I am using Agway Superior 12 and the Strategy Ovals. I will attempt to get him to eat about 3-4 times a day. I am hoping to also introduce some rice bran or Cocosoya oil to beef him back up, but first I just want him to continue being INTERESTED in food--something he has not been in weeks.

Tonight, heart rate was a bit high at 54, but the respiration was normal (YAY!) at 12. So strange!

It is humid (rainy) and Par HATES to get wet. However, it is so balmy out that he is going to have to deal with it. The atmosphere outside is better than it would be inside, I think. Hopefully the rain is over for tonight.

In the meantime, we had a little chat over his molasses-free meal. I explained that he really needs to communicate better so that I can do what he needs me to do. You know, a little telepathy or something?? I also told him that it would be okay by me if he wanted to stay here on Earth for a couple (10-15) more years...

He sighs. Nudges me for a carrot or some other tasty morsel. He then looks out to the paddock to see if anyone is at "HIS" hay pile. I give him a hug (much to his chagrin) and off he goes to kick some butt, pelting me with a bit of mud on his way for good measure.

I sigh. Another day in the life!