Sometimes you have to go beyond what is logical

So, through a friend, I contacted an *equine intuitive*.

Yup, a good old fashioned animal communicator. Naturally, when conventional methods don't seem to be so hopeful, you go ahead and look elsewhere for help and support.

Enter "Vicki" from Colorado.

Now, for the record, I am not a firm believer in this kind of thing. However, I have also not had any previous success with it either. Mostly, I have been told that Parlay is "not social," and "very stubborn about communicating." Why not? He is so difficult about other stuff, why should THIS be any different?!? LOL!

Anyway, I had heard at a seminar recently that it will work better if the horse's person gives the animal *permission* to speak to a stranger. I went ahead and did that this morning over breakfast. I would like to say that I gave permission, but honestly, I think I really just DEMANDED that he comply with this effort!!

After 89 minutes on the phone, I think I came away with some really interesting ideas about my old man and other avenues of treatment and additional diagnosis theories. I learned a bit about Vicki, I became more aware of some things that I had observed with Parlay, and I even learned a little bit about myself.

I have a huge page of notes that I took while she was speaking to me. We bantered back and forth about what has transpired up until this point and what course of action I am currently following. We talked a bit about Parlay's past and about the professionals that I have chosen to work with. We chatted about the diet and the supplements and the environment that Parlay lives in.

Vicki was sweet and thoughtful and kind. She is a horsewoman and an animal lover and it was very evident in the way that she tackled my request. She "read" Parlay and pinpointed some areas in which to focus. She suggested some things to check and recheck and encouraged me to continue plugging along.

Most noteable was her thoughts on Parlay's digestive tract and more specifically, his intestines. She seemed to think that perhaps he is having trouble with parasites. Interestingly, Vicki thought was this was NOT an ingested parasite, but perhaps one that had gotten "in" through a bug or fly bite.

Belly aching. Hmmm... I will say that it IS weird that Parlay has 1) gone off of his beloved Senior feed cold turkey, 2) is looking at his sides immediately following each meal, 3) has minimized gut sounds since this all went down, 4) and now totally abhors molasses after a life long love affair with the sticky, sweet stuff!

As for the vector? A bug or fly? It brought to mind a recent incident. About a month or so ago, Parlay developed a very odd looking mark on his eye, just outside of the iris. It looks as if a small circle had lost some of the pigmentation. I sent a picture of it to my Vet via cell phone for her to think about(thank goodness for modern technology!) Initially concerned about it, we both kind of shrugged it off as it never really amounted to anything.

During this time, I did quite a bit of research on the potential causes of depigmentation of the eye and found only one thing that seemed plausible--- a parasite carried by a fly of some sort. I mentioned this to the vet, but we both kind of wrote it off. Pish posh... what kind of weirdness is THAT!

Naturally, because I really want to find that article again, I can't, but I do remember that the treatment was Ivermectin. The horses were due for a wormer anyway, so what could it hurt? They all got Zimectrin Gold in the first week of June. Weird? Coincidence??

Next, Vicki mentioned Parlay's sinuses. Since I just had them scoped mid May and found nothing I am not sure about that, but Parlay DOES have some allergy issues, is still having nose bleeds (the reason for the scoping back then), and he HATES to have them tapped on, so maybe there IS something there. I also did have to stop the antihistimine treatment due to his lack of eating and have not re-established it yet. Something to think about.

She also thought that another physical factor could be found in Parlay's back (2 places) his left hip and his poll. She asked if we had mud (and do we EVER) and thought that he may have slipped and hurt himself recently. She advised a chiropractor and perhaps an accupuncture/accupressure specialist.

From here, we began to explore Parlay's mental and emotional state. Notice what is missing? There was no mention of his heart issues or his trouble with breathing! Does this mean that what I am looking at is just a symptom of something else? It is a question that I have been asking myself for days/weeks! How does a very fit and healthy horse decline in such a rapid fashion?? But I digress...

Back to Vicki's analysis of Parlay's extrinsic nature. I KNOW that Par is stressed, anxious and agitated. I can see it every day. Vicki picked up on it and told me something that I probably already knew--Parlay is mirroring me. Guess what? I AM STRESSED, ANXIOUS AND AGITATED!! Darn it!

But, what am I to do? I am trying desperately to hold on to my best friend---I want to prolong his life, to make him more comfortable, to play with and ride him again... And these negative feelings and emotions that I am harboring are carrying over to my guy according to Vicki. Curses!!

The prescription? Take a pill and chill. Yup, that is the prescription for ME.

Vicki feels that Parlay is not ready to leave me. He is a strong willed and stoic creature, to be sure. He has something left to teach me, she says. I hope it's not a lesson about death, but ultimately, isn't that the lesson learned from every long term relationship? I am THANKFUL for the character that this horse posesses. Honestly? Without these qualities I think Parlay would have left me way back before this blog got started...on that fateful Saturday---when he had his internal, heart racing, lung pounding race and won.

So I better save my energy for more writing---I think that this final journey may be of epic proportions!

One can hope!

Stay tuned....

One day up? The next day, down.

Well, it has been a couple of up and down days for me and Parlay.

On the positive side, Parlay is eating better. Wow, it is such a relief to see him eat. I guess it's the Mom in me that makes me so damned anxious when he would just stand and stare at me or the food like I was starving him. That, and the fact that I was pretty sure that Animal Control was going to be banging on my door any day... =-(

He is now eating 3-4 times a day (thank GOD for horse loving neighbors! I have a wonderful relationship with a woman down the street... she loves Parlay!!). Parlay is getting about 3-3.5 lbs per feeding of Superior by Agway 12% pellets and Strategy Ovals. I am mixing into that about 1/2 cup of corn oil, 2x a day. He also gets FatCat (when he doesn't blow it out) Platform Electrolyte pellets (that, more often than not, end up as the last thing at the bottom of the bucket--how does he DO that?!?) and Omega Horseshine, which he had been getting before this whole mess (and, like some of the other stuff, sometimes gets left behind--*sigh*) Today, I am going to start adding back in the Nutrena Empower.

More good news... my vet has come up with a paste form of Lasix. What a relief honestly, because my poor horse was looking so dejected about getting injections from me 2x a day. That does NOTHING for either of our morales! Yeah, I have been almost in tears over the "yes! Got the vein!--- um, no, lost the vein." Some goes in IV, some IM, usually more than one prick at a shot... CURSES, I hate the shots.

So we have the paste. Now, does it work? Well, I started with the max dose on the syringe--3 CCs. Seemed okay and even better? PARLAY ATE IT OFF OF A TREAT. What are the odds of THAT?? I tasted it (and peed for hours---just kidding) and it is pretty innocuous. Par made a face, but he ate it and looked for something else--to me that is a good sign!

BUT, last night I found a problem. Pulse, 54, Respiration 34. Yup, he was breaking through. Of course, I hem and haw about what to do until I text my vet at midnight (and that crazy woman is STILL working!!) Even before she replied, I prepared a syringe of Lasix to give internally. Parlay was scaring me--he looked anxious and agitated again and he was breathing so shallowly.

I tried to give the stuff IV with no luck. Just didn't appear to be enough blood volume to puff up the vein for me to get it. 3 tries and in it went--IM. 45 minutes later, the respiration was only down to 30, but he looked better. Calmer. Didn't do much for me, because I didn't sleep well AT ALL.

So, this am I ran out to see how he was doing. Better. 25 respiration and seems a bit less stressed. However, the coughing returns... not good.

I will have to write more later. There is just too much going on and my work phone is ringing off the hook...