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...